I Fleetly Flee, I Fly
by emouse33
Summary: A slightly different encounter with Quirrell at the end of first year leads to new problems, new abilities, and a gateway to the extraordinary. A HP/Avengers crossover that respects the timelines while throwing in new twists and characters you may not have seen coming. Now in Year 3. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: After Erised

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me. Harry Potter and his world belong to JK Rowling, and the Marvel universe belongs to Marvel and Disney. I'm enjoying my time in their sandboxes and making no profits.**

 **Beta read by the awesome Nyx the Author. Thanks a ton!**

 **(Text in italics taken from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" by JK Rowling).**

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Chapter 1: After Erised

 _"Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."  
_  
 _It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised._  
 _"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this... but he's in London... I'll be far away by the time he gets back..."  
_  
Harry wracked his brain to think of some way to delay his apparently power-mad professor, desperate for Dumbledore to come blasting through the curtains of flame. What could he do, wrapped in ropes and utterly helpless?  
 _Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it._  
 _"I see the Stone... I'm presenting it to my master... but where is it?"  
_  
 _Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror._

 _"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing — I thought someone was threatening you..."  
_  
 _For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face._  
 _"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions — he is a great wizard and I am weak — "  
_  
 _"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped._ He and his friends had been that close to Voldemort the whole time?

 _"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly._

As his professor continued to monologue, Harry tried to review his options, but his primal instinct to flee was keeping him from thinking straight. He was listening with half an ear to Quirrell's explanation, and the thought of Voldemort being so nearby all year was making him panic. Had Voldemort seen everything Harry had done this year? Did he know about the invisibility cloak? Who all his friends were? His attention could only refocus as Quirrell's finally looked away from Harry to continue studying the mirror, completing his story.

 _…"He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."_

Harry, at this point, was mentally gibbering with fear. Yes, he'd known Voldemort was in some way close, but this was becoming all too real in a way no 11 year old should ever have to face. He wanted to get away, to be found by a teacher, to be anywhere but trapped in a room with a follower of his greatest enemy.

 _"I don't understand... is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it? Help me, master!"_

 _And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself_  
 _"Use the boy... Use the boy..."  
_  
 _Quirrell rounded on Harry._  
 _"Yes — Potter — come here."  
_  
 _He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet._ He wanted to run away screaming, but he knew there was no escape with the wall of fire standing in his way. _"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."_

 _Harry walked toward him slowly._ _'I must lie,' he thought desperately. 'I must look and lie about what I see, that's all._ There must be some way I can get out of this.'

 _Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again._

His fear vanished. Standing here, this close to the polished face of the mirror and staring directly into his reflection, the overwhelming feeling of power overrode his terror. He'd felt nothing like this when he saw the mirror over the holidays. Something had changed. He stared into his own face, trying to see what might be different, and then…

His reflection winked. It reached into its pocket and pulled out a stone. Harry let out a ragged gasp, unable to help himself. This, this red unpolished stone was the source of the raw energy that now suffused the mirror. He couldn't take his eyes off of the gem, and it seemed for a moment that he could see movement inside it. A writhing, chaotic kind of life that threatened to burst out of the stone if left unchecked.

Before he could study it any more, his reflection dropped the stone back into its pocket, and as it did, Harry felt a heavy movement in his own pocket. Somehow, incredibly, he'd gotten the stone.

The entire exchange lasted less than 3 seconds, but Quirrell certainly noticed Harry gasp and loudly demanded, "What? What do you see?"

Mind racing, Harry responded with half of the truth, "The stone is inside the mirror… I- I don't know how, but it's inside. I saw you reach into it like the surface isn't even there."

Quirrell's face lit up with glee, but that unearthly voice called out again, "He's lying, you fool. Let me see him…"

Even as the professor began to protest, Harry backed slowly away, desperate to put distance between them. The wonder at seeing the stone was gone, replaced by that overwhelming terror again There may not be an escape at present, but for every inch he could move away, Harry felt that much better.

That feeling didn't last, as Quirrell unwrapped his turban and slowly turned around. There, on the back of his head, was a snake-like face, twisted and deformed. It sneered at Harry and said, "Potter. You see what you've done to me? I can only take form through the generosity of dear Quirinus, thanks to you. Now, tell me. How do I get the stone?"

Harry could barely form a clear thought any more. This monster, the same monster that stole his family from him, was directly in front of him, and there was no way out. His mind began to race faster and faster, desperately pleading for an escape.  
Get away, get away, run, hide, please, no, getawaygetawayfleepleasenogetoutgetoutgetout…

Lord Voldemort, usually an expert at the art of Legilimency, was frustrated. All he could pull from the brat's mind was fear. The very sight of the Dark Lord seemed to have mentally unhinged him. While this would normally please Voldemort, it was now keeping him from his goal. Taking control of Quirrell's body, he stepped closer and bent his arms in an impossible angle, breaking them with terrible snapping sounds. He ignored Quirrell's sudden cries of pain. He leaned over Harry, locked eyes with the terrified boy, and grabbed his head, intent on taking the knowledge he craved.

It was at that moment that something unprecedented occurred. Three minds and two bodies became locked together in a struggle between souls, and it wouldn't end well for anyone. Quirrell, even after the agony of having his arms twisted unnaturally backward, became aware of a new blistering torment. His hands, no longer under his control, were beginning to peel and burn as they touched Harry, crumbling into ash in seconds. He began struggling for control of his body, trying to get away from this torture. Flee, escape, just stop this pain.

Harry, at that moment, was similarly focused on escaping from his plight. The scar on his forehead was pounding as it never had before, almost like a jackhammer against his skull. He wanted to get away so badly, unsure of where he could go, but sure it was NOT. HERE. Anywhere but here.

And Voldemort, blind to anything but his desire for restoration, continued to push his mental tendril into Harry Potter's mind, ignoring any discomfort in pursuit of his goal.

In the span of about 10 seconds, all three individuals got their wish, though not in a way they wanted.

Harry, through his desire for freedom and escape that matched with that of his doomed professor, unconsciously created a backlash through the Dark Lord's mental probe, and everything that Tom Riddle had ever learned about escaping, running, or fleeing any situation immediately impacted into the young boy's traumatized brain. The shock of such a large amount of information being dumped into an untrained mind sent Harry Potter into a coma in a matter of seconds.

Quirinus Quirrell, his body now past the point of recovery, escaped his pain in death. As his soul slipped away, he could only feel relief that he no longer was trapped in his cursed half-life.

Lord Voldemort succeeded in obtaining the information he sought and left Harry Potter's mind, intent on ripping the stone from the now comatose boy's pocket. His glee evaporated as he felt his host's body disintegrate, and he let out a cry of despair and anger that faded into the night.

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Harry opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. It was too bright, and everything was blurry. A spot of movement in front of him made him flinch back, as he remembered the traumatic fight he had just been trapped in, but a gentle hand on his arm calmed his fears. The same hand placed Harry's glasses on his face, and the aged face of Dumbledore swam into view.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," he said kindly. "It is a great relief to see you awake at last."

Harry blinked confusedly and roughly cleared his throat. "At… at last, swir? Erm… sir?"

Dumbledore chuckled briefly and nodded. "Yes, Harry. It has been two weeks since I returned from the Ministry to find you unconscious on the floor."  
Harry's eyes widened. "Two w-weeks? B-but sir, the stone! Vwoldemort, he w-was twying to get it from m-"

Dumbledore's hand squeezed his arm, stopping Harry from continuing. "Relax, my dear boy. You stopped Voldemort, at great cost to yourself, I might add. He does not have the stone."

"Then who does, swir? Augh, I m-mean sir! And why can't I talk wight?"

At this, Dumbledore grew more serious. "Your speech centers seem to be a bit damaged, according to Healer Pomfrey. Hopefully, you will recover in time. Your mind went through a great trauma down there, and it will not heal overnight. And in answer to your first question, I'm afraid I have had the philosopher's stone destroyed. Nick and I agreed upon it."

This last sentence brought Harry up short. No, it couldn't be. Loathe as he was to think it, Dumbledore was...lying. Something as powerful as that gem could never be destroyed, certainly not by one man. The raw energy that rolled off the stone just had to still exist. Even though he was not as intelligent as Hermione, he somehow knew that the backlash from such an object would have destroyed the area. Harry realized, however, that he should just play along. "B-but Nicholas Flamel, sir? W-won't he… you know, die?"

Dumbledore's face changed to delight. "Oh, you even know about Nicholas, do you? You did your research, eh? Well, Nicholas and I agreed it's for the best. He and his wife have enough Elixir of Life stored up to put their affairs in order, and then yes, they will die. I know it may seem extraordinary to someone young as you, but to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

Not allowing his distrust to show, Harry nodded and asked his next questions.

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As Dumbledore left the hospital wing, allowing Harry's friends to rush in to take his place, he reflected on what he'd seen in the young man's eyes. Confusion and pain, yes, those were to be expected. It was only when Albus had pushed ever so lightly into Harry's mind that he saw the issue. While a young boy's mind was usually disorganized and cluttered, Harry Potter's mind now resembled the impact site of a meteor, completely blown away by whatever had happened in the final room with the Mirror of Erised. Forget a small speech impediment, it was a miracle that Harry could still form sentences. Something would have to be done, but what? Where to start?

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When Harry was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing several days later, he staggered up to Gryffindor tower, leaning heavily on Ron to keep his balance. While he had improved quite a bit since first waking up, his body was weak and his mind was in flux. Ron and Hermione had worked with him daily, helping him speak clearly, and even though the speech impediment would still pop up occasionally, he was learning to ignore it. It was to some confusion, as Harry pulled back the curtains on his bed in the tower, that he found a leather bound book on his pillow with a cover that read, "Occlumency: A Beginner's Guide" by A. Druid.

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 **A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first time writing a fanfiction, and I wanted to let you know what to expect from this story moving forward.**

 **1\. This will not be a full recounting of all of Harry's time at Hogwarts. We'll start with a fairly detailed summer, but then expect snippets and snapshots as we travel through the mostly intact timeline of the 7 HP books. It's only after he's graduated and beaten Voldie that the story will slow down.**  
 **2\. At the same time, it's going to be a bit of a slow burn until we get properly into Avengers territory. I'm keeping both timelines mostly intact, so the events of Incredible Hulk and everything after will be in the same place, chronologically. Harry will be an adult at the time of Iron Man.**

 **3\. This is not a God-like Harry story. Too many HP/Avengers stories have Harry show up and immediately magic away the problem. This will not be one of them. He's going to be specialized, and therefore a useful part of the team, but he won't be a deus ex machina.**

 **4\. All of the MCU movies will be respected, even if they're not mentioned, with one exception. If you were paying attention to the story, you can probably guess which movie will be completely erased from existence. Don't worry, we'll get there.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Mind Arts

**Author's Note: Not my characters or worlds. Just foolin' around with the Wizarding World and MCU.  
**

 **Beta read by the stupendous Nyx the Author. Thanks!**

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Chapter 2: The Mind Arts

Harry stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express, wondering what this summer would bring. Ron and Hermione had barely left his side since their trip to save the Philosopher's Stone only a week before. If he needed help with anything, be it reaching for a plate or walking to the loo, one of them would assist him. While he was grateful for their help, since he still felt weak and occasionally loopy, their overprotectiveness was beginning to grate. He also knew that the second they parted ways, he would need to be completely self-reliant. Petunia would sooner visit a leather bar than help him with anything, to say nothing of Vernon or Dudley.

The only time he'd had to himself was in the privacy of his own bed, when he would devour the mysterious book he'd found on his pillow. Whoever this A. Druid fellow was, he certainly knew his stuff.

Occlumency was, put simply, a way to organize and protect the mind. Mind reading was real, and this was a way to prevent it from happening to him. Harry had begun the very first exercises in the book, searching for his center and calming his mind, but it was no easy task. The mind of an 11-year old boy is very rarely "calm as a field of snow", as his book had put it.

The train began to slow, and Harry tensed, well aware of the reception he was likely to receive from the Dursleys. There was nothing for it, though. Dumbledore had been adamant that he go back to their tender care. Sighing, he stood and began to gather his things.

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Harry stumbled through the door of No. 4, Privet Drive, overladen with his trunk and owl cage. He had scarcely crossed the threshold before Uncle Vernon growled at him from the doorway behind him, "Your freaky things can go in the cupboard under the stairs. I'll not be having any nonsense while you're back!"

Harry turned to glare at him, but made sure to keep his tone polite. "Sir, I'll n-need them to do my summer homework assignments. If I don't k-keep up with my work, my teachers will w-wonder what prevented it."

Vernon's neck purpled at the reminder of other wizards and witches. "Fine! Fine, keep them in your room, but no funny business. Petunia's told me all about your worthless mother conjuring up grasshoppers and rats, and I will NOT HAVE IT in my house, understood?!"

Harry managed to keep himself from responding to the dig against his mother, and gave a single nod before dragging his things up the stairs, struggling to ensure he didn't drop anything with his arms still weak.

He pushed open his bedroom door with his back, dragging the trunk with both hands and shut the door before turning around, ready to collapse into his bed. That was going to be difficult, though, since someone was already in it.

A older man in a dusky orange robe, grey hair back in a ponytail was sitting on his bed. The man's eyes were closed, and his legs were folded together calmly. Harry stood, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, for a few moments before he heard a quiet voice say, _Shut the door, child_.

Harry jerked and spun to look out the doorway. That hadn't been either of his relatives, and the man's mouth definitely hadn't moved. He turned back and eyed the man closer, trying to figure out where the voice had come from.

The man's eyes snapped open, and Harry almost fell down from surprise. _I said to shut the door, young man. We don't want to be overheard, do we?_

Nearly tripping over his trunk in haste, Harry pushed the door closed and opened his mouth to ask a hundred questions, but the man quickly put a finger to his lips and began to move his arms. To Harry's young mind, it reminded him of a ballet program he'd spied Aunt Petunia watching years ago. The man's movements were graceful and filled with purpose. It even looked briefly as if the man had more hands than was possible, but Harry shook himself, dismissing the notion. As his hands whirled, golden sparks flew into the air, coalescing into an elegant yellow shape that the man pushed into the air. It formed a cube that expanded to cover every wall, the ceiling, and floor before disappearing from sight. It was like no magic Harry had ever seen.

Only after it had vanished did the man slowly unfold his legs and stand up.

"Much better," the man said. His voice had a rich baritone and an interesting European lilt to it. "I have made it so none will hear us. I am glad to meet you. From the state of your… relatives, I was concerned you might be an unpleasant fellow. Do tell me my fears are unfounded."

Harry stared dumbly for a moment before his brain figured out he'd been asked a question. "...Oh! Yes. I m-mean, no, I twy, er, try to be pleasant. I b-beg your pardon, but… who are you exactly?"

The man smiled gently. " Of course. Your headmaster contacted my mentor, asking for someone to help you… rebuild your mind. You recently were in a magical battle on the mental plane, one where a much more powerful magic user dug through your mind. This is correct?"

Harry broke into a sweat just thinking about that night, and settled for nodding his head.

"I'm glad you could survive such an ordeal. Even where I'm from, we have heard of this...Voldemore fellow. Nasty business."

Harry grinned slightly. "It's actually V-voldemort, but w-where is it you're from?"

The man gave a real smile now. "My apologies, Harry Potter. I hail from Denmark, but I now make my home in a place called Kamar-Taj. My name, as I should have said from the beginning, is Kaecilius."

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This proclamation only made Harry want to ask more questions, but he hardly knew where to start. Kamar-Taj? His mentor, supposedly a friend of the headmaster? And what kind of name is Kaecilius?

His indecision must have shown on his face, since the older man chuckled and gestured for Harry to come closer and sit on the bed. When Harry did, still a bit wary, Kaecilius gave a small sigh. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know. I am a member of the group known as the Masters of the Mystical Arts. Our sworn duty is to protect our planet from supernatural threats, and since you happen to live on Earth, that makes you one of my charges. Do you understand?"

After a weak nod from Harry, he continued. "I am told you received a book recently. Have you read any of it?"

Leaping up, Harry ran to his trunk and threw it open. "Th-this book on Occlumency? Yeah, I've b-been trying to understand it, but it's hard. I c-can't visualise anything it t-talks about."

Kaecilius smiled and nodded. "Yes, having something you can see in the real world always makes things easier. Explain what you've read so far, as well as you can. Even the things you don't understand, try to tell me about them."

Harry nodded, determined to prove himself. "Th-the mind is a complex thing, and people who are skilled in lig- er, legilimency can navigate someone else's m-mind to find out information. Occlumency is the ability to b-block others from entering your mind completely, as w-well as to organize your thoughts in a meaningful w-way."

Kaecilius nodded thoughtfully. "Fairly close, and we can adjust some of it as we go. What kind of exercises have you tried?"

"I've t-tried finding my center, but I still don't know w-what that means. I worked on c-calming my mind to do it, but I don't think I weached, er, reached the state of tranquility like the book s-said."

"Understandable. Come, let's go on a field trip. I shall show you what you should eventually attain," Kaecilius said.

Harry looked around confusedly as he stepped closer. "Where are we going?"

The man reached out with one hand and placed his thumb on Harry's forehead. "Into the mind of an expert. Me."

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Blackness. For a moment, Harry was afraid he'd gone blind, before he became of aware of the feeling of movement, as if he were speeding down a tunnel. And like a tunnel, he became aware of a light growing steadily in front of him.

Within moments, the brightness became a large cavern-like space, at first without any form, just an empty space, with the edges too far away to see. He looked around and saw a bright speck of orange light, like an ember from a fire, floating right beside him. It was strange, though. The speck itself was dark, while it was surrounded by the orange glow, like an inverted candle. Then he heard Kaecilius' voice echoing in his brain.

 _Welcome, Harry. This is my mind. Or rather, this is how I choose my mind to appear to you. If you were to enter the mind of an infant, born only a few minutes prior, you would see this. Now, let us add a few thoughts and memories._

Instantly, wisps of colored smoke and blurred images began to appear throughout the cavern. They danced and whirled without any recognizable purpose, sometimes flitting close to Harry's view before darting away.

 _Try to take one,_ the voice of Kaecilius said, sounding almost amused.

As far as Harry knew, he was an orange speck right now, so he didn't quite know how to take anything, but he gave it a try. When one of the drafts of smoke, a pink one, drifted close enough, Harry pushed himself into it. He failed to grasp on to anything, but as he passed through the smoke, he felt… pleased? Hungry... for something unfamiliar. He turned to face the orange speck. _What was that?_ he thought to Kaecilius.

The older man definitely sounded amused when he responded. _Perhaps that wasn't the best choice for someone your age. That was an emotion, one connected to a desire you haven't experienced yet. Give it a few years, and you'll recognize it far too well.  
Try to get one of the images you see. When you're close enough, use your own memory of holding onto something in the real world. Remember how your hands feel when they hold a book, or a pen._

More determined this time, Harry pushed himself out into the cavern and followed the man's advice as soon as he was close to one of the blurry, slightly changing images. With a grasping feel, the cavern disappeared, and Harry found himself in a courtyard on a cobblestone surface. He was facing a bald woman who looked directly at him with a serene smile. "Do this for me, Kaecilius," she said. "His world is very different from ours, hidden and frankly rather barbaric. Yet I sense his destiny will become entwined with ours very soon."

Harry heard Kaecilius' voice coming from his own mouth. "Very soon means little coming from you, Ancient One. Just how old are you, my lady?"

The woman smiled, but there was a hint of warning in her tone as she replied, "One never asks a woman her age. Now come, I will tell you where you're going."

Harry's surroundings vanished as quickly as they had appeared, and he found himself back in the cavernous space. Despite the fact that he currently had no head, he could feel it spinning. _That was crazy_ , he thought.

 _If this is crazy to you_ , the voice of Kaecilius echoed, _then you'll need to brace yourself. The number of feelings and memories you see before you would be the equivalent of a 5-year old's mind. Let me show you someone my age._

Where previously the cavern was sparsely populated, now the room seemed to vanish in a haze of smoke and fuzzy images. The walls around Harry were no longer visible, and the pictures and colors swirled all over and on top of his view. He was bombarded with emotions; anger, fear, happiness, loss, hatred love, all dizzyingly slamming through his mind and leaving just as quickly. He would also get flashes of people, places, and events; blowing out birthday candles, reading a newspaper, sitting in traffic, standing at an altar staring at a beautiful woman. The sensations began to overwhelm him, coming and going faster than he could process.

Anger, joy, learning to fight, terror, walking through a spinning portal, catching a ball, confusiondesirepleasurefaces…

Harry wasn't aware that he was screaming until he felt hands on his shoulders, gently shaking him as Kaecilius whispered soothing words above his head. Harry opened his eyes and realized he was curled up into a ball on the floor, and he was back in his bedroom, breathing heavily.

Once Kaecilius could see he was fully awake, he leaned back and sighed. "I sincerely apologise. I tried to do too much, too quickly. I have never taught someone as young as you, or anyone who has gone through trauma as you have. I overwhelmed you, and I should have known better. Please, get into your bed and rest. We will continue another time."

Harry looked out the window, and was shocked to see the sun setting in a brilliant purple sky. When he'd gotten to Privet Drive, it was still midday!

Kaecilius correctly surmised why he looked so surprised. "Yes, time passes in different ways when you are in the mental plane. Sometimes a minute passes in a second, sometimes what feels like five seconds takes an hour. But this is information that you will digest better when you have rested. Please, go to sleep, and I will see you soon."

Too exhausted to protest, Harry turned around and leaned into his trunk to get his pyjamas. A quiet whoosh behind made him spin around, but Kaecilius was gone.

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A loud knocking jolted Harry awake. His Aunt Petunia's strident voice pierced the quiet morning air. "Up! Get up! If we have to bother with you again for two months, then the very least you can do is help with a few chores! Now, up!"

With one last rap on the door, he could hear her hurry away. Harry snorted. A few chores. That sounded likely. If past experiences held, he'd be lucky to finish of the tasks she had planned by next week. He was also well aware that she'd ignore any protestations that he'd only just gotten out of the hospital wing. He could just imagine her bony face scrunching up in anger if he tried to make any excuse. He sighed. Well, no point in delaying. If he got started outside early, he might be able avoid too much hard work in the afternoon sun.

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After a meager breakfast, his aunt sent him out to repaint the shed in the backyard. He was quickly out of breath as he carried all his supplies to the side of the shed that was still mostly in shade. Squatting down close to the ground, he sighed and picked up a paintbrush.

Almost immediately, he dropped it. The second paintbrush he'd brought out just in case had risen into the air just as he'd picked his up. Cautiously, he reached out to his paintbrush and slowly lifted it up. The other brush copied his movement exactly. He dipped the brush into the paint can, watching as its twin did the same. He brought the brush to the side of the shed and painted a line across the wood. The other brush did the same, two feet to the right of his.

Harry glanced around furtively, and nearly panicked when he saw his aunt peeking through her kitchen curtain at him. He would have thought she would be losing her mind, running outside to stop his 'unnaturalness', but she simply pursed her lips at him and turned away from the window.

Looking back at the floating brush, he whispered, "Kaecilius?"

He heard a chuckle in his mind, and the older man's voiced whispered back, _Well reasoned. I wanted to demonstrate my remorse for how I treated your mind yesterday. You are under the influence of two spells at this moment. One simply doubles the work you perform, helping you to get your tasks done with much greater efficiency._

"Wow." Harry whispered. "S-sounds like Ron's dream come t-true."

 _If you say so_ , Kaecilius responded. _The other spell is a variant of a charm your people invented. It repels the attention of… muggles, do you call them?_

"Yes. Non m-magical people."

 _Hmm._ Kaecilius' tone was displeased. _Sounds like a racial slur to me_.

Harry's eyes widened, and he was about to disagree. But then he thought for a moment and realized he didn't have an argument against the man's observation.

 _Something to think on,_ Kaecilius continued a moment later. _But perhaps at another time. At any rate, it makes those without magic see only what they think they should see. Your aunt expected to see you painting the shed, therefore she did._

"Brilliant."

 _It is, isn't it?_ Kaecilius sounded pleased with himself. _Both are very simple spells, and take very little energy to keep up. I'm borrowing a bit of power from the sizeable wards around your home. I may not be thrilled with your living conditions, but there can be no doubt that those wishing to harm you will be thwarted by those wards._

Harry kept silent, embarrassed and a little angry that someone else knew about how his relatives treated him.

Before the silence could grow awkward, Kaecilius thought to him, _Well, best get to it. Hopefully these spells will keep your aunt from bothering you, as well as keeping you from the point of exhaustion. I will speak with you more this evening._

Harry smiled, already looking forward to it. "K-kaecilius!" he stammered.

 _Yes?_

"Thank you. F-for helping me."

A quiet pause.

 _You're very welcome_.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Please review and let me know what you think so far! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3: Determining the Damage

**Disclaimer** : **The words are mine, the characters are not. All credit to JK Rowling and Marvel.**

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Chapter 3: Determining the Damage

When Harry Potter walked into his bedroom that evening, he was sweaty and sunburnt, but not overly tired. The shed was painted, the lawns were mowed, and he'd even cleaned out the gutters, usually a task that took forever. With Kaecilius' spell, however, a phantom lawnmower blade had kept pace beside him, and an invisible hand had cut his time in the nasty gutters in half. Aunt Petunia was slightly suspicious at his new skill in yard work, but was hardly going to complain.

Seeing his bedroom empty, Harry hurried to the washroom and took a quick shower, forever wary of his aunt screaming about the waste of water. Harry found that highly unfair, since her bathtime usually took half an hour at a minimum, but since when had any of the Dursleys treated him fairly?

When he returned to his bedroom, hair damp and clad in pyjamas, he found Kaecilius again sitting on his bed, eyes closed and legs folded. As soon as Harry closed the door, the man repeated the flowing movements from the day before and the room was soundproofed.

"Good evening, Harry."

"Good evening, s-sir. Thank you so much for those spells t-today! It was so interesting to w-watch the spells in motion, I alm-most enjoyed m-my work."

Kaecilius smiled. "I'm glad. Do you have enough energy to pick up our field trip?"

Harry nodded, and stepped closer to the older man. Just before he came within arms reach, he hesitated, remembering how unpleasant the end of the lesson had been. Kaecilius immediately understood.

"I promise you, Harry, I have learned how to pace our journey better. I will take your needs into account, and it will be quite painless."

Nodding more confidently, Harry took another step forward. Kaecilius placed a finger on Harry's forehead, and they were back in the cavern instantly, empty of everything but the older man's orange-hued spark.

 _Now, if you will recall_ , Kaecilius' voice said, _The mind of a young child would look like this._

The cavern became populated with a few puffs of smoke and images, all dancing and whirling merrily.

 _And the untrained adult mind looks like this._

Harry prepared for an onslaught of stimuli, sure he would be overwhelmed again, but this time he saw that nothing came near him. Both he and Kaecilius' spark were encased in a translucent bubble that nothing could penetrate.

The man sounded amused. _Didn't I say I would protect you? Did you think I would forget?_

Harry felt ashamed, but answered in the affirmative. _Yes, a little._ _Sorry._

 _You'll need to trust me for this to work, Harry. Now, let's continue. Look around you._

Harry did so, and was amazed at the colors and images that surrounded him. Now that they weren't pressing in on his other senses, they were really quite beautiful. _All right,_ he thought. _What about them?_

 _If you, Harry, were to use the spell Legilimens on any normal adult, this is what you would see._ Kaecilius explained _. If you were looking for a specific memory or emotion, what would you do?_

Now that Harry actually considered it, that was rather intimidating. While beautiful, the swirling colors were very disorienting, and there was no clear way to find anything in the crowd. _I don't know,_ he admitted. _I suppose since I used the memory of grabbing something to actually grab onto a memory, would I… use one of my memories as a guide?_

The orange spark that was Kaecilius seemed to pulse. _Logical,_ he said in a pleased tone. _When you search for a memory, you are using cues from your own experiences to locate your target. If you search for a happy memory, you call up the feeling of happiness within yourself and search for memories that are similar in… how they feel, I suppose. That helps you narrow down your quarry. Try it yourself. Remember how it feels to be sad, then focus that feeling out to our surroundings._

Harry had no shortage of sad memories. He recalled a time when he was younger and his aunt had praised Dudley for bringing home a drawing, yet ignored what Harry had created in the same class. His aunt had cooed over Dudley's ugly scribbles, while pushing Harry into the cupboard, still clutching his more realistic drawing.

Back in the present, Harry was intrigued to see most of the colored smoke fade in prominence. It was still there, but much more see-through. The clouds that were a dark bluish-purple, however, stood out very strongly. Some of the images, as well, were nearly invisible, while others were extremely clear.

Kaecilius said, _Well done, Harry. You are quite good at this. Now, release that sad emotion, and we can continue.  
_  
Once Harry had done so, all the clouds and images faded into view again, before abruptly vanishing. The cavernous space was empty except for the orange spark.

 _Now,_ Kaecilius said, _I am quite proficient in the mental arts, including Occlumency. As a result, I can organize my mind however I want. My emotions and memories are still here, in this space. Can you find them?_

Harry looked around. It certainly looked empty. He moved around the space, coming close to the walls and the ceiling. Everything looked bare. _I don't think I can,_ Harry responded.

Kaecilius' spark came next to Harry. _Reach out and touch the wall, Harry._

Harry felt a bit annoyed. _How?_ he asked. _I don't have hands. Don't I look just like you, a dark fleck surrounded by orange sparks?_

 _Not quite,_ the older man answered. _Here, look at yourself._ Instantly, a mirror appeared next to Kaecilius' form. Harry drew close to the reflection, confused by what he saw. Where Kaecilius was dark and surrounded by light, Harry was all green light, surrounded by a pulsing atmosphere of deep red.

 _I don't understand,_ he said. _Why are we different? Aren't we both wizards?_

Kaecilius laughed. _Not quite, young man. You are a wizard, yes. Your power comes from within you, in your blood. That red color that surrounds you is your mother's love, given form. I, meanwhile, am a sorcerer. My power comes from my surroundings, especially from the powers of other dimensions. That's why my innermost being is dark. I have no magic within me naturally._

Harry was taken aback. _You're a muggle?!_

The orange spark grew larger, almost angrily. _I still don't like that term._

Harry quickly shrank back. _Right, sorry. I'm so used to saying it. I was surprised, that's all. You're just so powerful._

 _Apology accepted,_ the man said. _Now let's return to our topic. Look at your form and imagine hands. Picture hands, fingers, and arms growing on either side of your form. Think about how it feels to bend your elbows, to snap your fingers. Your only limit in here is what you can imagine._

Mentally nodding, Harry concentrated on his mirrored image, willing himself to add the required appendages. He was quite happy to see it begin working immediately, arms shooting out of his round shape even as fingers formed on the ends. Before long, he'd succeeded, and he admired his handiwork. A bit put off by how it looked, appearing as a headless torso, he wished for legs and a head as well, thinking on his own appearance in the real world. Within moments, he had changed from that green spark to his natural look, messy black hair and all. He closely inspected his reflection, making sure he hadn't missed anything.

"Well now, see what you can achieve when you put your mind to it!" Harry started at the actual sound of a voice, rather than a voice in his head.

He looked over to where Kaecilius' spark had been, only to see the man himself floating next to the mirror. "Nicely done, Harry," he said. " But don't limit yourself to what you're used to."

As he said this, Kaecilius seemed to blur and stretch, changing into a variety of fantastical shapes in sequence; a purple giraffe that grinned in a goofy way, a vampire with a stereotypical bloody grimace, and a blocky robot covered in lights and dials. He then settled back into his human shape and laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Harry's face. "What? Can't the teacher have some fun too?"

They laughed together for a moment, and Kaecilius said, "Now, reach out and touch the wall."

Harry hesitantly followed his request, and was surprised to find it felt soft and spongy. What was more, from the spot he touched a rainbow of lights exploded across the wall in lines, criss crossing and forming geometric shapes in no discernable pattern. He looked to Kaecilius in confusion.

"I decided my mind would be organized like a logic puzzle," the man said. "One in which only I understood the logic. Watch."

Splaying his hands in front of him as he faced the wall, Kaecilius began to move his arms in graceful patterns, and the lines of light on the wall began to untangle themselves, slowly and beautifully, till the wall resembled a mural of a sun with multi colored rays of light spreading outward. Only once every line was set did Kaecilius reach out into the air and make a motion like a cowboy pulling on his lasso. The wall split apart, and turned into shelves upon shelves, each filled with images and colors. Harry was hard pressed to recall anything as beautiful in his life. He knew he was gaping, mouth hanging open like a fish, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"So I can do something like this with my mind?" he asked in wonder, turning to his teacher.

Kaecilius' mouth became a hard line, looking like he had swallowed something he regretted. He didn't answer, choosing to reverse his motions and close the wall up as it had been before. The wall flattened and the lines retangled themselves before vanishing, leaving a blank surface.

"...Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked. "Isn't that the whole point of you coming?"

Slowly, Kaecilius turned to Harry and put one finger on the boy's forehead. Instantly, they were back in Harry's bedroom.

"No, Harry," the man said, his tone hesitant and uncomfortable. "I wasn't sent here to help you build an Occlumency mind scheme, though I'll be glad to do that if I can. I was sent here to fix…"

He reached out and waved his arms in a complex fashion, finishing with a pushing motion aimed at Harry's forehead. There was a moment of discomfort, the sensation of a tunnel, and they were suddenly in darkness.

"...this."

Harry waited for his vision to adjust, but after several moments, he could still only see about a foot in front of him. Turning to Kaecilius, he saw the dark ember surrounded by orange sparks, and guessed he was in a similar state. With a thought, he gave himself arms, legs, and a head, then watched as his teacher did the same.

"Is this my mind?" Harry asked, uncertain.

Kaecilius grimaced. "Unfortunately. Here, let me illuminate our surroundings."

The man waved a hand above his head, and a corona of light burst into being and sped away from them, separating into small glowing balls and filling the space. Harry looked around and was disturbed at what he saw. It was similar to Kaecilius' cavern, but in a ruined state. Chunks had fallen from the ceiling, the walls were pitted and crumbling, and the colored smoke and images that should have been dancing merrily in the air were all twitching listlessly near the floor. Worst of all was the obvious cause of the destruction.

In the center of the cavern was a misshapen chunk, completely different from anything surrounding it. It resembled a meteorite, still glowing a dull orange and steaming, but there was an overwhelming feeling of _wrongness_ emanating from it. Its surface also shone too bright and wet in the light of Kaecilius' glowing orbs, almost like an oil slick.

"What...what is that?" Harry asked, horrified.

"That is what was left behind in your mental battle," Kaecilius responded. "I don't know what is inside, but I know it came from Voldemort, and he didn't mean to give it to you. If it had been intentional, you might not have ever noticed something was different in your mind. This is why you've had such trouble speaking in the real world. The shock of this foreign intrusion damaged all kinds of things inside you. From the state of things in here, I'm sure your memory is also heavily damaged, particularly with things you don't encounter every day."

Harry almost felt offended. "My memory is fine!"

Kaecilius raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? Tell me, what is one class you take at school."

"Erm… transfiguration," Harry replied, nonplussed.

"Describe the last spell you learned in that class."

Harry opened his mouth to answer, and paused. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to picture his classroom the last time he was there, but nothing came to mind. A bit perturbed, he insisted, "It's been a few weeks since that class, and we had exams after it. Ask me something else."

Kaecilius snorted in amusement, but agreed. "You are divided into four houses at your school. Name every boy in your year and house."

Harry waved dismissively. "Easy. Ron Weasley, Neville… um… Longbottom! Er… Dean Thompson. No, Thomas! And…"

He was brought up short. This was someone he saw nearly every day. He could picture the boy's face, often covered in soot from his latest explosive accident. What was his name?!

Kaecilius placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and pointed out toward the unnatural formation in the bottom of his mind. "Observe, Harry. As you struggle to recall this information, your memory is struggling too."

The man was right. Harry could see blurry wisps of images that had risen higher into the air than their brethren. He could just make out Ron's face in some of them, as well as Neville falling backward, victim of Hermione's _Petrificus_ spell just before they went after the stone. Unlike the memories in Kaecilius' mind, these jerked and twitched in the air, almost as if in pain.

"Don't worry too much," Kaecilius said. "I will show you how to repair the damage, though I cannot promise you'll be the same person you were before. You may find certain aspects of your personality change in unexpected ways. The true danger, long-term, is letting any of Voldemort's personality affect you."

"That's possible?!" Harry was horrified. Bad enough that the evil wizard had damaged his mind, but the idea of parts of Voldemort infecting what kind of person he was made him feel nauseous.

"This is why I am here," his teacher said. "To prevent that, and to ensure that you heal completely. You will recover, I will settle for nothing less."

Kaecilius made a quick motion with his hands, and Harry found them back in his bedroom. The older man smiled at him, looking quite determined. "Our time has run short, and I shouldn't keep you from your rest."

Harry was disheartened to note that the sun had completely set, leaving the street lights outside as the only illumination. "C-can I do anything tonight t-to start fixing the damage?" he asked desperately.

"Review the first few chapters of your book, young man. And focus on finding your center before you fall asleep, making yourself very calm. We'll start the real work tomorrow after your chores."

Harry nodded, ready to prove himself. He made to turn away and grab his book, but hesitated. "Kaecilius, h-how do you get in and out of m-my room? I thought the w-wards would prevent anyone m-magical from getting in."

The man smiled and took a gold bar out of his pocket, fitting it over his fingers like a set of brass knuckles. With a smile, he turned away from Harry and faced a blank wall. "There are more things in heaven and Earth," he said, "than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

With that, he made a circular motion in the air, which created a portal surrounded by orange sparks floating in midair. He stepped through the hole into a place that looked like the courtyard from the man's memory. Kaecilius turned back to Harry, bowed, and said, "Till next time, dear boy," and the portal closed.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far. Please review so I can improve what I've created. Chapter 4 will be on its way soon.**


	4. Chapter 4: Deepest Desires

**Disclaimer: Wish I owned Harry Potter or Marvel. I could really use the dough. Sadly I don't.  
**  
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Chapter 4: Deepest Desires

The next day passed much like the one before it. Aunt Petunia attempted to overload him with chores that would take anyone else many days to do. Harry had two advantages though: the spells Kaecilius had placed on him, and many years of practice getting through his aunt's unreasonable expectations.

By the time the sun began its descent to the horizon, Harry had cleaned up the flower beds on both sides of the house, washed and waxed the car, washed every window in the house, and dusted every room. He probably could've gotten more done without overtaxing himself, but Petunia had been watching him more and more as the day went on, seemingly trying to catch him doing anything "freakish".

Dinnertime was a change in the usual. The previous day, his aunt had just given Harry a TV dinner she'd hastily microwaved and had him eat it on the back porch. Harry was used to this on occasion, especially when company was coming, so he'd thought nothing of it, having been too excited about working with Kaecilius that night.

Today she wanted his help with dinner, meaning he cooked it and she stood over him and criticized everything he did. This was an old routine by now, and despite her constant complaints in his ear as he worked, she always took credit for the food when Vernon got home and complimented its quality. As he baked and cooked tonight, though, she merely fretted in the background, sipping a glass of wine and looking out the front window frequently. Harry knew better than to ask what was wrong ("Don't ask questions!" being an oft-heard phrase of his childhood), and merely went about his business, finishing up the food and taking a quiet seat at the table.

When Uncle Vernon stomped in the front door, it became patently obvious the reason for her nervousness. "Bloody supervisors!" the man grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. "Can't let decent, hardworking men get on with their jobs. Bloody inspections!"

Harry smirked, carefully looking down so Vernon wouldn't see. So his dear uncle had been inspected at Grunnings and the results were… less than stellar. Well, good. No less than the stupid muggle deserved. He hoped Vernon lost his precious job and had to root in the bins for his food, like his kind deser-

Harry paused. That wasn't right. He didn't think _anyone_ should have to scrounge for food, knowing all too well what a day without eating felt like. And hadn't Kaecilius just made him reconsider about his use of the word 'muggle'? Eyes widening at the thought of his teacher, he remembered one of the last things the man had said last night. " _The true danger, long-term, is letting any of Voldemort's personality affect you."_

Now very worried and completely lacking an appetite, he stood up and made to go up to his bedroom. The sudden movement, however, only made Vernon zero in on him, glad to have a target to pin his frustration upon.

"Sit, boy!" he growled. "Your aunt worked hard to cook dinner, and the least you can do is have your portion and clean up afterward! Ungrateful brat."

Harry slowly lowered himself back into his chair and tried not to glare at his uncle. If aspects of Voldemort were leaking into his brain, he knew the last thing he needed was to get mad and possibly vaporize his relatives in a fit of pique. He thought back to the chapters of his Occlumency book he'd reread last night. _Find your center. Reach inward to find your deepest desires, then meditate to discover_ _why_ _you desire them. Find the place within you that is safe, that is whole, that connects to your magic._

Harry had spent some time looking for it and attempting to meditate, but he'd wound up falling asleep instead of going into a trance. He certainly wasn't feeling tired now. He closed his eyes to try and think, drowning out the sounds of silverware clinking and his uncle moaning to his aunt about his job around a mouthful of food.

What were his desires? To be safe, of course. To have friends that would stay by his side. To protect those friends from danger.

Then he thought of the Mirror of Erised, and the images he saw in it over Christmas holidays. His family all beside him, including relatives he'd never met or heard of. Safe and happy, and smiling at him. That was his greatest desire, to have a real family, one that was proud of him. He might not be able to have a biological one like that, but he was determined he would one day have a family that fulfilled that desire.

Before he could start to delve into the _why_ of his desires, the dining room table shook and Harry's eyes snapped open.

Vernon had slapped his hand down on the wood, glaring nastily at his nephew. "We've had our portion, boy. Get what you deserve and clean up the mess!"

Sighing at the lost opportunity, he got up, only now noticing that Dudley was at the table, stuffing his face and looking at Harry in an amused way. When Harry got to the stove, he realized why. There was almost nothing left in the pots and pans Harry had used to cook dinner, and only the crusty ends of the bread he'd baked. Consigning himself to the dregs, he scraped the last bits on to his plate and headed back to the table. As he rounded the side, something blocked his foot and sent him sprawling, knocking all of his food on the floor and cracking the plate. As he lay on the ground, winded, he could see Dudley pull his foot back under the table while his uncle began bellowing about his "clumsy layabout of a nephew".

Harry began breathing hard. This, this was why he wanted a real family so badly. He may have "relatives", but they were no family.

A real family would be concerned for their family member who had fallen instead of worrying about how "that plate was an antique" as his aunt was currently screeching. A real family would be grateful for their child helping with dinner, not just leaving the last bits of burnt and stale food behind.

The noise was building as both his aunt and uncle were yelling now, and Dudley kept a dopey grin on his piggy face as he observed the chaos he had created.

Harry was fighting to keep his temper, but it was rapidly becoming a losing battle. His uncle reached down and grabbed his arm, yanking Harry to his feet, and Harry could feel something in him fighting to get out.

His uncle tried to pull Harry closer so he could continue to yell, but Harry felt whatever was inside him ripple outward from his body, and Vernon quickly let go and shrank back, cradling his hand.

"Vernon?!" his aunt gasped. "What is it?"

His uncle's voice shook as he growled, "Little monster burned me with his… powers."

Harry stood his ground as his aunt and cousin gave him mixed looks of anger and fear. "I d-didn't mean to," he admitted. "But I'm not s-sorry. Dudley," he gave the fat boy a look of hatred, "tripped me, and you don't c-care. You've never cared. I've got friends n-now, friends with all s-sorts of 'powers', and they w-won't look kindly on the w-way you act!"

Despite his stinging hand, Vernon swelled up with indignation. "The way WE ACT? We took you in, not that we wanted to, but because your crazy Dumblemore LEFT YOU on the doorstep in the middle of the night! No way to contact him, just some warning about other…. freaks coming after us if we put you in the orphanage! I wish we'd just ignored him and left you on a curb somewhere! You've been nothing but trouble since day one!"

Harry hadn't known that about Dumbledore. He felt some of his righteous anger dwindle away into confusion, but that only made him able to say what came next with a cold determination. "I c-can't control how I got here. That isn't my fault. B-but I'm not a m-monster, and I'm not a f-freak."

Petunia sneered. "Of course you are. What else could you be?"

Harry's eyes were cold, and his aunt drew back a bit as they turned to her. "I'm a p-person. And you n-need to treat me like one."

He turned to the kitchen door and began to walk away, heading to the stairs. Vernon tried to follow him, shouting, "Get back here and clean up this mess you made!"

Harry never broke his stride, only turning his head as he began to ascend the stairs. "Dudley m-made the mess, and the only thing I m-made this afternoon was dinner. Have him clean it up."

Vernon was so flabbergasted by Harry's resolved tone, he faltered in his steps and looked back at Petunia, looking to her for support. He received only similar looks of bafflement as the bedroom door upstairs slammed shut.

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The moment the door was closed, Harry sank to his knees and leaned against it, taking a ragged breath and staring at the floor. He'd never talked back like that to his relatives. He'd felt angry, sure, and wished he had the guts to stand up for himself, but he'd never acted on his impulse before. Huh. Must be all that time in Gryffindor that bolstered his bravery.

He was shaken from his thoughts by an apple rolling across the floor into his field of vision. He reached down and picked it up, then looked up to see where it had come from. Somehow, he'd failed to notice Kaecilius standing next to his bedroom window, looking at him in concern.

"Hi," Harry said tiredly. "I s-suppose you heard all of that."

Kaecilius merely nodded.

Harry sighed. "You probably think I sh-shouldn't have lost my temper. I should've been m-more calm."

Kaecilius' eyebrows furrowed. "Not at all. I think you showed remarkable restraint. I very nearly came down to intervene when I heard you fall. Your relatives are lucky they only had to deal with the well-deserved tongue lashing you provided."

Harry's eyes widened. No one had ever sided with him before when it came to his relatives. "D-do you think it'll m-make a difference?" he asked hopefully.

"In their behavior? Possibly," the man responded. "In their attitude toward you? Probably not. They seem quite closed-minded toward anything different, and you are as different to them as night to day. And I mean that as a high compliment."

Harry grinned for a moment, then began to ask, "Sir, c-can I-"

He cut himself off, cursing his impulsiveness. What was he thinking, he'd met the man two days ago, and there was no way he liked Harry well enough to consider his request.

Kaecilius frowned. "Please, ask your question," he said.

Harry took a deep breath, and let the words spill out of him in a rush as he stared at the floor. "C-can't I just leave? I n-never understood how much I hated it here until I g-got out. Can I… stay in K-kamar-Taj with you? Dumbledore w-wouldnt even have t-to know, with those p-portals you can make!"

He took a deep breath and waited. Kaecilius didn't say anything for a long moment, and Harry stole a panicked glance up at his face before looking back at the floor. He was just frowning, deep in thought. Harry could've kicked himself. Why, oh why did he have to let his mouth run away from him. Now his teacher was going to leave him because he was too needy, too pushy, too annoying.

He flinched when Kaecilius suddenly moved, but then the man was silently sliding down next to him, against the door. He put a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I wish I could," the man murmured. "You are an extraordinary young man, and any sorcerer should be honored to have you as an apprentice. But…"

Harry looked up at him, seeing Kaecilius' eyes fill with regret.

"I am only here as a favor to my mentor, who was in turn asked for help by Dumbledore. I have been given a thorough overview of why you are here and how you are kept safe by staying here. Suffice it to say there is nowhere in Great Britain safer for you than in this house. These wards protect you absolutely from outside threats while you are here, and they power the protection you used very recently to defeat Voldemort. It is not a shield I am willing to take away from you."

Harry sank into himself even more. With a voice bereft of hope, he asked, "C-couldn't I at least spend some t-time during the day away from here? At Kamar-Taj?"

Kaecilius shook his head slowly as he took the gold bar out of his pocket to show Harry. "I'm afraid you are unable to use the sling rings and the portals they create. Do you remember your appearance in our minds? Your brilliant green color surrounded by a red aura?"

Harry nodded, unsure of himself, as Kaecilius continued. "As I told you then, the red is a tangible evidence of your mother's love and sacrifice, and it is powered by the wards of this house. Very few things in this world can erase that protection, and unfortunately, the energy created by our portals is one of them. The second you stepped through a portal, your safeguard would vanish, never to be rebuilt."

Harry had to admit that sounded like a bad idea, as he would definitely be dead if not for that protection. For the time being, he would set aside the dream of leaving this place and make the best of it.

He felt more than saw Kaecilius stand up beside him and offered Harry a hand. As he rose, Kaecilius gave him a small smile and said, "All that said, I think I can still help you improve your situation when we are not rebuilding your mind. We can start by having you eat this," holding out the apple Harry had dropped. "I will be sure to bring you nutritional food when I visit from now on. You are far too thin."

Harry ducked his head and began to eat. Even if he was stuck here, it was nice to have someone in his corner.

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After he finished the fruit, Harry stood up with Kaecilius and described the feelings and thoughts he had struggled with earlier. Kaecilius stroked his chin, listening intently.

"I think you may be right about the source of those thoughts," Kaecilius said. "Let us investigate."

So saying, he whirled his hands as before and they found themselves in Harry's darkened mind. Kaecilius lit their way, and they drifted close to the site of the foreign invader. From this distance, the feeling of evil and disease was even stronger, and even though there was no 'smell' on the mental plane, Harry couldn't help but imagine the stench of skunks and rotten eggs. Kaecilius pointed to the floor of the cavern right next to the chunk. "You were correct, unfortunately," he said. "You see how the darkness and sheen of Voldemort's remnant has begun to spread?"

Harry had to look close, but he could see the small tendrils spreading across the floor. This was serious.

"Can I get rid of it? This is my mind, so I should have control over it. Can I… I don't know… spray it away with water?"

Kaecilius considered him. "Why don't you try?" he said.

Harry nodded and looked to the spreading lines. Imagining a hose of water emanating from his hands, he pushed the feeling outward. After a moment he thought nothing had happened, but when he drew his hands back and looked at his palms, he could see a faint sheen of water on them. Disappointed, he looked up at Kaecilius for an explanation. The man nodded.

"Honestly, I didn't even expect that much," he said.

Harry unconsciously hunched inward, hurt by the man's lack of faith. A snap of Kaecilius' fingers made him look up into the man's eyes.

"Do not misunderstand me," he said. "You have already shown remarkable progress inside my mind, but you are still absolutely a novice. Have you searched for your center?"

Harry's eyes lit up. "Yes!" he said, glad to show some of his work off. Then he hesitated, remembering how intensely personal his heart's desire was.

Kaecilius smiled sadly. "It's hard to share what you want most, isn't it? I'll make you a deal. If I tell you mine, then you tell me yours."

Harry gulped, but nodded.

His teacher looked down, seeming to steel himself, and said, "Very well. My wife, Adria, was my whole world. She made every day full of joy. Even when our…" his voice broke for a moment, then he continued, "our son was taken from us, she pushed me on. She was the greatest person I ever met."

Harry's mouth was dry, and he waited for Kaecilius to continue. After a moment, the man shook his head and said, "She was struck by a sudden illness, and there was nothing I could do. She was gone in days."

Kaecilius looked up at Harry, and the man's eyes seemed alight with pain and determination. "What drives me is a way to find meaning in her death, and possibly even a way to be with her again. Death is an aberration, and I wish to find a way to eradicate it."

The older man took a deep shuddering breath and seemed to come back to himself, regaining his gentle smile. "Now, when you feel ready, please share."

Harry felt very small and insignificant in the face of such emotion, but he summoned his Gryffindor courage and revealed, "I want a family. I've always dreamed of having my parents again, and even though I know that can't happen, I want people who love me for who I am, people who will take care of me when I need help. And I want to be able to take care of them and protect them from anyone who might harm them. I don't need them to be related to me. I want to make my own family."

Harry felt like he'd just run a marathon. Kaecilius looked at him proudly, saying, "Thank you for telling me this. That's the first step to finding your center. Once you understand yourself, truly and completely, you can begin to control what happens in here," as he gestured around him.

Harry looked doubtful at his teacher's confidence, so the man said, "Try to create the stream of water from your hands again, this time while you focus on that dream of creating the family you desire."

Harry nodded, and did as he was instructed. This time, he was rewarded with a weak sprinkle of water pattering down onto the floor of his mind. It wasn't what he'd tried to do, but it was a start.

Kaecilius smiled down at Harry's ecstatic expression, and guided them both out of the boy's mind. As soon as they came back to full consciousness, Harry sagged to his knees, completely spent.

Kaecilius chuckled and levitated Harry to his bed. "You've made wonderful progress, Harry. Now you've earned a rest. I will see you tomorrow, and please, don't let your relatives wear you ragged tomorrow. They may have the right to give you chores, but not to be their slave. Stand up for yourself again, and you may be pleasantly surprised at what happens."

Harry barely heard his words as he drifted off to sleep, but his dreams that night were filled with happy images of relaxing in the summer sun, surrounded by people who loved him.

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 **A/N: Whoo! Longest chapter by far! I have officially passed the 10K benchmark. I'm having a blast doing it too.**

 **A few people were insistent that Harry be removed from the Dursleys. I wasn't planning on revealing WHY that wasn't gonna happen this early, but the scene started writing itself before I could stop it.**

 **Regarding Harry's reaction to Kaecilius' revealing his deepest desire, please keep in mind this kid is not even 12. He's not gonna be able to properly respond, especially when it's someone he's grown to trust. This may come back to bite Harry later, but again, he's a kid.**

 **Please read and review! It keeps me motivated to write!**


	5. Chapter 5: Speak Up and Speak Out

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to good ol' JK, and Marvel belongs to the House of Mouse.**

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Chapter 5: Speak Up and Speak Out

Harry awoke to a heavy knocking on the door, and he groaned out, "Yes?" before his brain had caught up with his surroundings.

After a brief pause, he heard his aunt say, "Get up and come help with chores. And I had better not hear any more attitude from you this morning."

Harry couldn't help smirking at the small wobble he heard in her voice, and waited till she had walked away before he got out of bed. Yes, he'd shocked himself in standing up to them yesterday, but he was guessing it had shocked his relatives far more. Well, as scary as it was to speak out, it had also been very liberating.

Harry dressed and made his way downstairs, purposefully walking slowly. He made his way into the kitchen to see his aunt waiting for him, hands on her hips.

"About time! I want the beds all stripped, the laundry done, the trash collected and taken out, every room swept, vacuumed and dusted, and the garage cleaned out, and you'd better have them all done before your uncle gets home!"

Harry forced himself not to swallow or appear as nervous as he felt, and instead forced a slow smile across his face. If he could pull this off, he might actually enjoy this summer.

And yes, he definitely wasn't imagining the look of confusion that spasmed across her face. "Well?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "Pick two."

She sucked in a deep breath, presumably to start yelling, and he cut across her. "You heard m-me. I will help around the house, since I'm living here for the n-next few months at least. B-but I have things I'd like to d-do this summer too, and I have schoolwork I'll n-need to finish before I go back. Pick t-two things from what you j-just said, and I'll do them."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What makes you think you can dictate terms, you stuttering little gremlin?"

Harry paused for a moment, working to keep his temper under control at the rudeness. He would only be proving her right about being less than human if he attacked her now. "Like I s-said, I'm a person, not a monster or a g-gremlin. And I'm n-not your slave, I'm a student on summer v-vacation. If Dudley gets to relax, then I can t-too."

She glared balefully. "My Dudders is a model student who _deserves_ a break from his studies. Not like you, who never worked hard or could possibly succeed in _normal_ school, so I doubt you'd be much use in your freakish institution either!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "F-first of all, your _Dudders_ is a b-bully and a cheat, who only got through p-primary school by f-forcing me to do his homewor-"

"You liar!" Petunia screeched. "Dudley wouldn't hurt a fly, and he certainly wouldn't try to steal answers from you! You can't even speak right any more."

"He's p-probably with his gang right n-now, beating up younger kids for their p-pocket money in the p-park."

"How dare you!" she screamed, her face beginning to turn pink as she worked up a full head of steam.

Harry sighed, rubbing his forehead with two fingers and trying to think of an approach that would shut her up. She was still screaming at him when it finally came to him, and he spoke over her, saying, "Fine, you d-don't have to believe me. B-but I've heard the neighborhood ladies t-talk about him when you're off getting tea at your little 'p-parties'. They all despise him, and p-pity you for being so b-blind."

Her mouth snapped shut. If there was one thing she cared about more than her 'Duddikins', it was what the neighbors thought. "You're making all this up," she whispered, sounding desperate.

"Put a t-tape recorder in the room next time you have a p-party," he said with a grin. "I d-dare you."

She stared at him in horrified silence for about ten seconds before he decided to break the spell. "S-so anyway, I will willingly d-do two of the tasks you m-mentioned today, and then you'll leave m-me alone. What two should I d-do?"

Her mind still awhirl with the thought of her neighbors' opinions, she just said, "The beds and the laundry."

Harry smiled and nodded, grabbing a muffin off the counter and heading upstairs to complete his tasks. She'd unthinkingly given him the two jobs that could be finished fastest, and then he'd be free for the day. Two of his aunt's insults, though, were ringing in his head. He needed to do something about this stutter.

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He'd finished his chores, and was standing out in the backyard, enjoying the breeze. He decided now was the perfect time to check on his mind, especially where his speaking ability was concerned, but he wasn't sure how to do it. He thought he knew the spell Kaecilius used each time they went into a mind, its effects matched those described in the Occlumency book after all, but he also knew the book said it required an incantation and wand movements. He was out of luck in that regard, what with the prohibition on magic Hogwarts students were given each summer.

He closed his eyes and thought, _Kaecilius?_

Silence.

He focused on the man, imagining his face and his personality, and tried again.

Nothing.

Stumped, he considered what to do.

Hedwig was off in a park somewhere, with both boy and owl having decided before summer started that she should stay away for her own well-being. He saw her fly by on some nights, and left treats on the open window-sill. Besides all that, he had no idea how far away Kamar-Taj _was._ It certainly wasn't a name that sounded British. He didn't want to write a letter and send Hedwig off on a weeks-long trip. He had no other way to contact the man, so he wanted to give the mind-speaking one more try.

This time, he considered Kaecilius' desires, the ones the man had shared last night. They were intensely personal, and spoke of the kind of person he was. Imagining his mind connecting with the man of those desires, he thought as 'loudly' as he could, _Kaecilius!_

Instantly, he felt the man's presence in the back of his mind, and a weak and fuzzy voice quietly asked, _Harr-?_

 _Kaecilius!_ Harry thought triumphantly! _I did it!_

The man's voice responded, again very garbled and wispy. _H-... on… -id you d-... -at?_

Harry didn't understand. He'd heard the man's voice very clearly in his head very recently when he'd been painting the shed. Why couldn't he hear him now?

 _Can I ask you a question?_ Harry thought.

This time, Kaecilius voice was clear. _Come up to your room, young man._

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Harry had run upstairs as quietly as he could, not wanting to give his aunt an excuse to locate him. As soon as he'd entered his room and closed the door, he saw Kaecilius perform the silencing spell and stare at him intensely. "How did you do that?" the man asked seriously.

Harry was confused by the question. "D-do what, the speaking without w-words?"

Kaecilius gave him a flat unamused look. "Yes, of course that's what I mean, your telepathic communication."

Harry shrugged, concentrated, and repeated the concentration he'd done outside. _I focused on your innermost desires, and everything that made you, well, you. And then I tried to speak to you. I assume it was the same thing you did when you explained the spells you placed that make my life easier._

Kaecilius looked stunned, and explained out loud. "It's not the same thing, Harry. When I spoke to you that day, I had been waiting in your room upstairs, watching you as you worked. I was, at most, twenty feet away. I had to create a portal just now to get here."

Harry still wasn't sure of the problem. _Ok, how far away were you when I thought to you just now?_

"I was in London, Harry. Downtown London."

 _Well, great!_ Harry thought. _I wish your voice came through clearer, but now I can get in touch with you if something comes up._

Kaecilius shook his head. "Harry, what you just did is impossible. I'm sure you've read in your Occlumency book that distance is a huge factor in the discipline, and no one should be able to reach someone else mentally from, I would guess, 60-70 kilometers away. I suppose we have more of a connection already built with the work we've done… but still!"

Harry didn't know how to respond to being told he'd broken magical rules, and responded weakly, _Well, I'm also told you can't survive the Killing Curse, but…_

His teacher laughed quietly. "I suppose you have me there. Listen, we should come up with a method of communication in the event of an emergency, but we shouldn't rely on your frankly astonishing command of telepathic connections. If you need to get a message across to me, I can only discern every few words from that distance, and I honestly thought it was some sort of emergency because of it."

Harry felt embarrassed now for having worried the man he looked up to. _I'm sorry, sir. I guess we should figure something else out._

Kaecilius nodded, and reassured Harry, "There was no harm done. Now, what was it you needed? We can move our session up to now if you'd like."

Harry smiled gratefully. _Thank you. I had a couple of thi-_

Kaecilius held up a hand quickly. "Wait, Harry. You know you can speak out loud with me. Don't be ashamed of your impediment."

Harry shook his head vehemently. _No! That's one of the things I wanted to ask. I can't go back to Hogwarts with this stutter. It's embarrassing and makes everything I say take twice as long!_

His teacher thinned his lips, thinking. "Harry, the neural pathways have been damaged. We will be able to mitigate some of the damage with Occlumency, but you should be prepared to have a noticeable stutter for months, if not years. It may never go away, but it shouldn't be a cause for shame."

Harry stomped one foot, aware that he looked like a petulant child as he did so. _You don't understand. I'm famous in the wizarding world. Everyone knows me, and lots of people look up to me because of what happened when I was a baby. I hate it, but I can't escape it. If their 'hero' has a stutter, I'll be a laughingstock, not just in school, but everywhere._

By the end of his tirade, his head was hanging low, seemingly exhausted by the weight of his frustration. Kaecilius sighed, but nodded reluctantly. "Very well. I have an idea, but you should be aware that if it works, it'll single you out in different ways. You will be looked at as unique in ways that may make your people put you even further on a pedestal. Most importantly, it will almost certainly keep you from recovering from the stutter itself. If you never focus on improving your verbal abilities, you will never get better. Do you understand?"

Harry looked up at him, eyes shining with hope. _Yes._ _Please. I'll do anything._

Kaecilius walked to the window and looked out through the blinds. "Come, look outside."

Curious, the boy did so, seeing one of his elderly neighbors walking down the sidewalk in front of the house. He was moving slowly with the help of a cane. _Mr. Yorrick? What about him?_

Kaecilius nodded. "Call out to him, right now."

Harry looked over at the older man, nonplussed. _The window's closed. He won't hear me._

Kaecilius tutted, irritated. "Not out loud, child. With your mind."

 _Oh._ Harry understood now. _Ok, I'll try._

Focusing on Mr. Yorrick, he shouted the old man's name with all his concentration. The elderly man didn't break his stride in the least. Harry turned back to Kaecilius. _He's mostly deaf. That might be it._

His teacher shook his head. "Nonsense. His physical hearing ability would have no effect on his mind. Try again, this time focusing on everything you know about the man, including what you think his deepest desires might be. You know, like you used to contact me."

 _You think that'll work?_ Harry asked, not feeling very confident. _I don't know him very well, not like with you._

Kaecilius grinned. "No, I don't think it'll work at all. At first, at least. Telepathic communication is not an often used skill, with your people or mine."

Ok, Harry thought to himself. Mr. Yorrick. Grumpy. Older than dirt. Nearly blind and deaf. Very particular about anything in his lawn. What would a man like that want?

He looked at the man as he shuffled along, slowly but with determination. He was heading to… number 12 Privet Drive, as Harry recalled a bit of the 'juicy' gossip his aunt so loved to dish out with her lady friends. Mr. Yorrick was thought to be courting the widow Ms. Mill, a woman 10 years his junior. According to Aunt Petunia, this was practically scandalous, but Harry saw no reason for two older people to stay alone just because of an age gap.

His brain seized on the word 'alone', and he thought he might have a good idea what Mr. Yorrick's driving force may be, and not a moment too soon, as the man was nearly out of his front yard's range.

Focusing on the desire for someone to spend time with, to love and comfort, he stared intently at the old man and thought, _MR. YORRICK!_

Just before he passed the fence post of Number 4, Mr. Yorrick seemed to pause and look around, before shaking his head and continuing his slow journey.

Harry turned back to Kaecilius, triumph evident on his face, and his mentor simply raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Do you actually feel like you connected to his mind, like he heard the words you thought at him?" the man asked.

Harry slumped a bit. _...No. It felt like he just heard a faint whisper. But I do think I had a good guess on what drives him._

Kaecilius nodded. "I'm certain you did. Let me guess, it had something to do with having the love of someone else?"

Harry gaped in astonishment. _How did you know that?_

The older man chuckled. "He's human. One of the most common desires of human beings is love, companionship, trust. It's hardwired into almost everyone."

Harry harrumphed. _Well, when you put it like that, it seems obvious. I thought I was being pretty clever._

Kaecilius put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "I assure you, you were. You're not even 12 yet, and you're developing a skill many adults never do: empathy. It's the ability to see life from the perspective of someone else, and in young people it's a very difficult task to understand. If you want to succeed in communicating telepathically, in order to get rid of the stutter completely, you're going to have to become very empathic, very quickly."

Harry looked perplexed. _I have to understand how someone sees the world in order to speak with them telepathically? Every person I want to talk to? Is that even possible?_

Kaecilius nodded. "Certainly. But as I said, human beings have certain traits and desires that are hard-wired into them. Let's talk about Maslow and the hierarchy of needs."

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After a rather exhaustive lesson in basic psychology, some of which went completely over Harry's head, Kaecilius asked if there was anything else Harry wanted to discuss. Harry asked him, _Sir, I want to be able to go through my mind and start to learn how to affect things in there, even without you present, but the spell I'm supposed to use needs a wand. I've seen you do it without one. Why isn't your version in the book?_

Kaecilius laughed. "Because you have the wizard publication of Dr. Druid's book. He published it in two separate editions, one for wizards and one for sorcerers. Let me show you."

He retrieved his sling ring from a pocket, whirled his hand around, and formed a small portal, sticking his hand through and pulling a book into Harry's room. This gave Harry an idea.

 _Kaecilius, wouldn't a portal be a good way to get in contact with you if I need you? I know I can't step through one, but I can still call to you if I know where you are that day._

The man paused and cocked his head, considering the idea. "Perhaps for the future, yes. But you will be busy enough putting your mind in order and learning how to speak telepathically. Let us table that method for another time. Go and get your book so we can compare them."

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Harry worked for several hours with Kaecilius, focusing on the energy inside him to create the spell from the book. Finally, Harry's arms felt like they would fall off from waving them around so energetically. He knew he had perfected the form, mimicking his mentor's movements precisely. His mindset was perfect, and with a final mental incantation, Harry felt the familiar rush of a dark tunnel. The spell had taken, and he was inside his own mind.

The orange spark that was Kaecilius materialized next to him after a moment, and he heard the man say, _Very well done, Harry. Now let us inspect if the fragment from Voldemort has expanded its reach._

Both man and boy adjusted their shapes, taking on their familiar forms and drifted down to the center of the cavern. Harry couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the feeling the giant mass gave off from this distance. They looked closely at the floor and found, to Harry's relief, that there hadn't been much change. Even so, Harry wanted this thing out of his mind, and said as much to Kaecilius.

 _Understandable,_ the man replied. _I can't imagine anyone would want something like this poisoning them from the inside out. But you must consider two things. One, you must be the one to remove it, as I have very limited power in your mind. At this time, you're still miles away from the necessary ability. And two, there may be something of use within it. Just because its source is truly deplorable, it can't be denied that Voldemort is a master of magic, and if this is, as I suspect, information from his mind, it may come in handy._

Harry seriously doubted that. _What could I possibly want from his brain?_ _He's a monster, and I don't want anything he might know._

Kaecilius shook his head. _Do not be shortsighted. Describe for me what happened when you faced Voldemort at the end of the year._

Harry gulped, not eager to revisit the memory of that night, but he told Kaecilius everything, giving as much detail as he could. Some aspects of the encounter were still a bit fuzzy in his mind. He noticed, though, that as he spoke, Kaecilius only seemed to pay partial attention, staring periodically at the mass in front of them. When he reached the end of his story, he finally asked the man, _What's wrong?_

His teacher waved off the question, responding with his own. _Harry, can you describe for me what you were thinking right before you blacked out?_

Harry thought hard, his memory was especially blurry at that point. _I'm not sure. I suppose I was thinking about how to get away, because I was scared out of my mind. I just wanted to escape._

Kaecilius gave a grim smile, still staring at the rock-like shape. _Say that last part again, and look at the same place I am._

Harry furrowed his brow, but did as he was asked. _I just wanted to escape. Oh!_

For no sooner had Harry said the word escape, but certain spots all over intruder began to pulse, vibrating briefly and glowing dimly before settling down again.

Harry grimaced. _That was...gross. What does it mean?_

Kaecilius smirked and finally turned to look at Harry. _It means that you've been given a great boon by your worst enemy. It means you will have an advantage he doesn't know you have, and if you ever have to face him again, you'll be able to turn his own tricks against him. Let's get to work._

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 **A/N: I didn't want to bore you by describing Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, as I figured anyone who's EVER taken a psych class is well familiar with them. If you don't know them, that's what Wikipedia is for.**

 **There's a lot of set-up in this chapter. I hope it was still interesting. We're finally starting to get to the point where things can change in Harry's mind.**

 **I was originally going to have Kaecilius be in Kamar-Taj when Harry's telepathy reached him, but then I realized that I promised in Chapter 1 that this WON'T be a Super-Harry story. Having Harry be an incredible world-spanning telepath is pretty much the definition of Super-Harry.**

 **Please review! Let me know what you think, what you liked and didn't like! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6: Birthday Visitors

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just so we're clear on that point.**

 **Beta read by the awe-inspiring Nyx the Author! Thanks a ton!**

 **I got my hands on the Time Stone, and pushed the narrative one month ahead, FYI. Now on with the show!**

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Chapter 6: Birthday Visitors

It was the break of dawn on the last day of July, and Harry was in the kitchen. A month had passed since he and Kaecilius had discovered the boy's aptitude for telepathy, and Harry had been working hard on the ability. Harry woke early every morning to focus on his mental communication, trying to make it work as smoothly as possible. To his delight, he had gotten to the point where his aunt and uncle wouldn't even notice that they couldn't 'hear' his voice when he spoke. As long as his back was to them when he 'talked', they thought of it as his normal voice. Dudley never spoke to Harry anyway, and if he had, Harry doubted his cousin would have noticed even if he'd been speaking Swahili backwards.

On this morning, Harry was making a hearty breakfast for his uncle and cousin, while preparing something with less cholesterol for himself and Petunia. He heard his aunt hiss behind him, "Don't burn the bacon!"

 _Yes, Aunt Petunia_ , he replied, never turning from the oven. Honestly, he'd burnt the bacon once over the past 4 years, and that was only because Dudley had knocked him to the ground while he'd worked. He doubted his aunt had a track record as good as his.

Speaking mentally with his relatives was always a strange experience. As Kaecilius had taught him, being able to create that telepathic connection with someone meant he had to empathize with them, seeing life from their perspective. Empathizing with people who had made his life miserable for years was easier said than done. And while everyone had some desires and inborn traits in common, Harry had started to recognize some aspects, or mental flavors as he'd begun to think of it, that were wholly unique to each person.

Petunia had a certain bitterness to her soul, as if she knew full well that the life she'd chosen for herself was less than it might've been, and she hated that she had no one to blame for her lack of fulfillment besides herself. Harry suspected that she knew all about Dudley's juvenile delinquency, but was at a loss for how to curb it. He had to adjust how he thought to her in order for her to hear him well, and it always left a sour feeling in his stomach afterwards.

Uncle Vernon stomped into the kitchen then, huffing an irritated, "Coffee, boy!" as he waddled in.

 _Coming,_ Harry said, striving not to sound exasperated. Vernon craved two things above all else: respect and the freedom to do whatever his selfish heart desired. Harry was sure, after having meditated on his soul for the past month, that his uncle would have happily left Petunia years ago if anyone had shown the slightest romantic interest towards him. To reach his uncle's mind easily, he usually added a touch of humility and submissiveness to his focus.

Dudley wandered into the dining room a few moments after his father, blinking heavily and licking his lips at the smell of the greasy meat being fried. He was becoming his father in all but name, both in personality and in stature. Harry had more than once tried to direct a thought only at his uncle, and accidentally included his cousin in the message because their ugly souls were so similar.

That was both a bonus and downside of his dedication to telepathy. If he focused on one person alone, he could send a message just to them. Harry guessed that their neighbors thought the entire street was haunted, based on how much Harry had practiced yelling out at passers by mentally. They couldn't recognize his voice, since his relatives had harshly discouraged him from talking to anyone in the area growing up.

The downside, however, was how difficult it was to broadcast a message to multiple people. He'd been practicing his focus on the things Kaecilius had drilled into his head: the need for comfort, shelter and safety, affection, security, self-esteem. These things were nearly universal, and everyone desired them to varying degrees constantly. It was being able to focus on all those things at once, and also accounting for the mental flavors that he'd noticed in individuals, that was difficult.  
He'd recently derailed all five members of Dudley's 'crew' as they chased after a younger child, trying to steal his pocket change. He didn't think it counted as much of an accomplishment, though. They were all single-minded in their task, so connecting to all of them had been simpler, and pretty much anyone will be distracted if they hear the word _FLIBBERTIGIBBET_ shouted into their mind. It was all he could think of at the time.

Harry was just sitting down to his oatmeal and fruit when his uncle cleared his throat officiously and asked, "Now, is everyone prepared for today?"

Harry looked up in confusion. His birthday? His relatives had certainly never celebrated it before, and though Harry's new independent streak had gotten his uncle to back away a bit, Harry doubted it would also get the man to buy him any presents.

"Yes, Vernon!" his aunt cooed. "Your suit is dry cleaned and hanging in your closet, and I'll be sure to give everything a good polish while you're at work."

Oh right, Harry thought. They were having that stupid dinner party with some potential clients. Harry tuned out their irritating back and forth, answering questions that Uncle Vernon put directly to him while making sure he kept his face towards his plate to ensure no one saw that his lips stayed closed the whole time. Once his uncle had left for work, his aunt turned to him, her face pinched as if she'd had a sour candy stuck under her tongue for too long. "Now," she said. "Go water and trim the garden. It needs to look spotless. None of your lollygagging."

Harry nodded and went upstairs to put on his shoes. He'd enjoyed the last month's uneasy peace where he only had to do a few chores a day. He supposed he'd go along with what she said until he got tired, and then see if she tried to test him again.

Once he got outside and began to work, he could let himself drift out and meditate, thanks to the mostly mindless task he'd been assigned. He pondered a problem he'd been encountering over the past few weeks. Once Hedwig had come and stayed the night early in July, he decided to send letters to Ron and Hermione, having neglected it in favor of working with Kaecilius. Once he tied them to her leg and set her off, however, she had returned only a few hours later, looking ruffled and aggravated. Harry knew that she couldn't have made it to either of his friends in that amount of time.

He tried to talk with her mentally, and was able to connect with her easily with the bond they already shared. The problem was, even though she was an exceptionally intelligent owl, she was still an owl. She could communicate limited emotions and an occasional flash of an image, but trying to actually speak with her was an exercise in futility. All he'd understood from the attempt was that something took his letters, and Hedwig hadn't seen how it happened.

Harry had discussed the problem with Kaecilius, and the man hadn't known what to do about it. He hadn't been willing to deliver letters for Harry, seeing it as beneath him, but he said he would be willing to have his mentor talk to Dumbledore. Harry hadn't wanted to kick up a fuss, so he declined the offer.  
Not for the first time, Harry wished Kaecilius would trust him with a sling ring. He happily imagined what it would be like to open a portal in front of the Weasleys' or Grangers' mailboxes and toss his letters in. His teacher was stubborn, though for a number of reasons.

As he'd mentioned the first day Harry brought it up, Harry had a lot on his plate as it was. He also wasn't willing to risk Harry putting any part of his body through the portal, as he was unsure if even putting a finger near the portal would take away his home's protections. Finally, he wanted to ensure that Harry's training with sorcerers remained a secret for as long as possible. He feared the wizards would lose their minds at the thought of their "boy who lived" consorting with muggles who could use magic. If Harry began showing off types of magic that no wizard could replicate, like a glowing portal to another place, it wouldn't take long for him to be vilified.

So Harry was stuck here for now, cut off from his friends. He wondered if this was why he hadn't received any post from them either. It wasn't like Hermione not to bombard him with words, in verbal or written form, and she had said he'd hear from her soon. Ron, for all his lack of drive to write essays or homework, had promised repeatedly to write every week. For one of his friends to break their promise, he'd be disappointed but not terribly surprised. For both, though, he suspected interference.

He finished his work in the garden and collected his tools, preparing to go inside to the cool of his room. As he passed one of the bushes by the sidewalk, he stopped and did a double-take. There were a pair of huge green eyes peering back at him from the foliage. He blinked a few times, and when he refocused his gaze, the eyes were gone.

All right, a break was absolutely in order. He hustled inside quietly and went upstairs, trying to avoid detection. He made it to his bedroom, closed his eyes, and focused inward. If he was seeing things, he definitely needed to clear his mind and see if there'd been any more contamination from the fragment of Voldemort's thoughts.

After a few moments of concentration, he let out a quiet breath and performed the spell Kaecilius had taught, now a familiar routine. He felt his consciousness rush inward and took a look at his mind.

Only a month of work with his teacher had done wonders, but there was still a long way to go. The walls and ceiling of his mind, which he'd learned represented the stability of the mind itself, were no longer crumbling and broken. Some of his memories, though far from all, were now darting around in the air as they should. And the intruder that had caused all the damage was different now too.

Where once it had appeared to be slammed into the floor of the cavern, inextricably cemented to the surface, now it floated a few inches above the surface. When Kaecilius had divined what information was stored inside the block, he had suggested that Harry keep it until he had squeezed everything useful out of it. He taught Harry how to separate it from his own mind, but there had been a hitch.

When they had finally managed to raise it into the air, there was what appeared to be an anchor at the bottom of the structure, securing it to Harry's mind. What was worse, the anchor appeared to be similar in consistency to the intruder, yet somehow actively malevolent. Anytime Harry or Kaecilius approached the anchor, it gave off chilling waves of fear and hatred, warding them away. The anchor gave a way for the piece of Voldemort's remnant to continue spreading the oily slicks it gave off, and it had become a regular chore for Harry to return to his mind and clean away the spread.

His teacher was very worried about what could have created the anchor, but at this point it wasn't causing any harm by itself, so they had agreed to keep a wary eye on it and focus on other things they could control.

For the moment, Harry inspected the spot where the anchor reached the floor, searching for anything that might be making him hallucinate. It looked unchanged from when he'd worked near it the day before. Nothing was present that could make him see things that weren't there. Mentally shrugging, Harry was about to start on fixing more of his memories when a loud bang in the real world jolted him back to awareness.

He opened his eyes to see Aunt Petunia glaring at him from the door she'd thrown open. "What did I tell you about your laziness?" she screeched. "Get up and help! Your uncle is working hard to land a very profitable deal, and you will pull your weight for once!"

Harry sighed quietly. With her looking directly at his face, he couldn't risk speaking to her without opening his mouth. "W-w-what sh-should I d-do now?" He asked, wincing internally.

Kaecilius hadn't been lying about the stutter. Because he'd focused so much on his telepathic projection, his physical speech had suffered. To Harry's mind, the trade-off had been worth it.

"Dusting, sweeping, and mopping, you witless child!" she replied. "Every room downstairs where our guests could possibly visit! Now!"

She swept away in a self-righteous huff before he could say anything else. Now that he was sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, he supposed it wouldn't do any harm to follow her instructions. He knew as soon as the time for the dinner drew near, she'd rush him up the stairs and warn him against making any sounds, which Kaecilius' silence spell would take care of anyway.

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After two hours of whirlwind cleaning, she did just that, pushing a sandwich and orange into his hand with a harried look. He happily entered his room and shut the door, ready to work with his teacher.

Kaecilius was indeed standing by the window, waving his hands to erect the usual spell, but his attention was not on Harry. Rather, it was on a tiny figure hunched over in front of Harry's bed. It had tan, leathery skin with floppy, bat-like ears and huge green eyes. Clearly, this was the source of his arboreal observer earlier. It had been staring, frightened, at Kaecilius, but as soon as it caught sight of Harry, its face lit up with a gleeful smile.

"Harry Potter, sir!" it exclaimed happily, with a voice that reminded Harry of a squeaky dog toy. "Such an honor it is to meet you!"

It threw an uncertain glance at Harry's mentor and added, "...and your guest."

Kaecilius gave a humorless laugh and turned his eyes to Harry. "I don't suppose you know this creature?" he asked doubtfully.

Harry shook his head, completely mystified. He turned to the small creature. Focusing on the mind of something non-human would be a tricky thing, but he could only try. _Hello… who are you?_ He directed the thought as best he could.

The creature spasmed, batting frantically at his ears and looking around wildly for the source of the voice. "There is a ghoul in the great Harry Potter's room, asking about Dobby!" It shrieked.

All right, Harry thought to himself. At least I have a name to work with. He focused on the being named Dobby once more.

 _Dobby,_ he said. _There's no ghoul. It's me, Harry Potter. I'm speaking to your mind. Can you hear me well?_

Dobby locked his eyes on Harry's, confusion and adoration battling for supremacy on his face. "The incredible Harry Potter can speak without words?! Truly your legend falls short compared to reality! Yes, Dobby can hear you quite easy!"

Harry fought off a blush at hearing such praise from someone else, and Kaecilius looked at him pointedly. "This is what I was warning you about," the man said. "Your people may not be as… excessive… in how they esteem you, but when people see you speaking telepathically, they will hold you up even higher than before. Prepare for it now."

Harry nodded, only half listening as he considered the puzzle that was Dobby. _How can I help you, Dobby? Why are you here?_

Dobby shook his head vigorously. "Oh NO, great Harry Potter. Dobby is here to help YOU, sir! To help and to warn the magnificent Harry Potter!"

Harry cocked his head. _Warn? Warn me about what?_

Dobby looked furtively around the room, as if checking for spies hiding in the closet. "There is a plot afoot, sir, a terrible plot. Harry Potter MUST NOT go back to Hogwarts!"

Harry looked over at Kaecilius, nonplussed. The man only shrugged back. Harry asked, _What kind of plot? What's going to happen?_

To the shock of both humans, Dobby screwed up his bottom lip and made a flying leap onto Harry's nightstand. He grabbed the desk lamp that sat on it and began energetically beating his head against its base.

Harry raced over and wrestled the lamp from Dobby's grasp. _What is wrong with you?_ Harry exclaimed. _Why would you do that?_

Dobby rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. "Dobby cannot say, sir. Please do not ask Dobby! Dobby will have to punish himself most severely when he gets home as it is."

Harry was very confused now. _Why? And for that matter, what exactly are you?_

Dobby looked down to the ground. "Dobby is a house-elf, Harry Potter. We house-elves is bound to one family and one house for all our lives, taking care of anything they need. And… and Dobby was not told he could be here. Dobby will have to shut his hands in the oven tonight."

Harry exchanged looks of horror with his teacher. _No! But… but won't your family be upset if you hurt yourself?_

Dobby, still looking sadly at the floor, shook his head. "Oh no, sir. Dobby has to punish himself regularly. Sometimes they remind Dobby to do extra punishments, just in case."

 _Why don't you leave?_

"Dobby must be freed by his master, Harry Potter. If they gives us clothes, we are set free. Unless that happens, Dobby will serve them until the day he dies."

Harry looked desperately to Kaecilius. _Can't we do something, sir? There must be some spell to set him free. He's a slave!_

Kaecilius shook his head, looking quite perturbed. "I agree that Dobby here should be freed from such an abominable state. There is one large thing stopping us, though. I don't know the first thing about what kind of bond is holding him to his family. I might try to help, and end up killing him. For all I know, he and his kind might be homunculi."

 _A what?_ Harry asked.

"A homunculus is an alchemical creation, made by man in his image, but smaller. I have heard rumors of some magicians keeping them as servants, though I've never seen one before. If Dobby here is one, that means the only reason he can exist is because he draws power from a magic user. Separating him from the source of that magic might kill him. I just don't know."

Harry sagged in defeat. _If I can find more information at Hogwarts, could you help him?_

Kaecilius lay a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "I will do everything I can. No one deserves to suffer like that, human or no."

Harry turned back to Dobby, ready to apologize, and was surprised to find large tears streaming down the house-elf's face. _Dobby, I'm sorry. I'll find out how house-elves came to be, and I_ _will_ _find a way to help you. Please don't cry._

Dobby began to sob, clutching himself. Harry only then noticed that Dobby was clothed in a dirty pillowcase, which only made Harry angrier on the being's behalf. "D-Dobby never knew how w-wonderful the g-great Harry Potter is," the little figure choked. "D-Dobby had heard of his t-triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but Dobby has n-never met a wizard as kind and noble as Harry Potter! Offering to h-help unworthy Dobby! Dobby is s-so grateful for anything the amazing Harry Potter would c-consider."

Harry knelt down and put his hand on Dobby's shoulder, trying to comfort him as Kaecilius so often did. _Dobby, you're not unworthy. I want to help you. But do you understand why I need to go back to Hogwarts? I can't find a way to get you free unless I can research in the library._

Dobby gave him a look of terror at the thought of Harry going back, but slowly nodded his head. Then, it seemed a sudden thought struck the creature, and he began sobbing and hiccuping again. "Oh, D-Dobby is such a b-bad elf! Kind Harry P-Potter wants to help Dobby, and he has been so b-bad!"

Harry was confused. _What's wrong? What did you do?_

Through his tears, Dobby raised a hand into the air and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a pile of letters appeared on the floor by Harry's foot. The house-elf moaned, "Dobby has been t-taking Harry Potter's letters so the great Harry Potter would th-think his friends had abandoned him. D-Dobby is so sorry! Dobby just wanted Harry Potter to be s-safe here!"

Harry squashed a brief flicker of annoyance. He could understand Dobby's logic, even if it wouldn't have worked. _Thank you for giving them back, Dobby. I appreciate it._

The house-elf gave him a wide-eyed look of awe, overcome by the thought of being thanked by a wizard. "Is there anything Dobby can do for the magnificent Harry Potter?"

Kaecilius, who had been content to watch from the side till then, spoke up. "Dobby, can you tell us anything about the plot at Hogwarts? Who is planning it? What it involves? Who it's aimed at?"

Dobby looked pensive for a moment, giving the lamp Harry had set down a brief glance as if pondering his ability to grab it again. Harry moved his body slightly to block it from the elf's view. Dobby seemed to give up on that idea, and shook his head to Kaecilius' questions. "Dobby doesn't think so. Dobby wishes Harry Potter would stay where he is safe, but Dobby understands the great Harry Potter's plan. Please, just stay safe, Harry Potter!"

Once Harry had nodded his agreement, the little house-elf vanished with a popping sound. Harry spun around to Kaecilius, confused. _I thought the wards on the house prevented anyone from doing that!_

Kaecilius cocked his head sideways. "Harry, you've seen two types of magic in your life, one for wizards and one for sorcerers. What makes you think that's all there is? It would seem that house-elves use a different type of teleportation."

Harry nodded, deep in thought. If he could copy that ability, he wouldn't need a sling ring after all.

Kaecilius seemed to sense his mood, as he chuckled and said, "Why don't we skip our lesson tonight. I will see you tomorrow. Read your letters and answer them, yes?"

The man took down his silencing ward and made a portal, stepping through and waving goodbye to Harry before it closed. Harry briefly considered following his teacher's advice, but decided it could wait until morning. This encounter had taken a lot out of him, not even considering the hard work he'd done all day. Ron and Hermione could wait one more day.

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When Harry woke at 3 am to the face of Ron Weasley outside his window, he regretted his earlier decision immensely.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! We'll spend a bit of time, perhaps one to two chapters, with the Weasleys, then as I promised, second year onward is going to pass much quicker.**

Please review! Let me know what you like and what you don't!


	7. Chapter 7: With the Weasleys

**Disclaimer: These characters ain't mine. You knew that.**

 **Beta read by the stupendous Nyx the Author. Thanks a ton!  
**  
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Chapter 7: With the Weasleys

Still half-asleep, Harry found himself asking two questions, and he had no time to ponder them.

'How was Ron HERE, right outside my window?' That was the first and most important question. Undoubtedly, the answer would most likely be boiled down to 'magic'. That was almost a given in Harry's life now. But the secondary question that Harry considered as he bolted out of bed and ran to the window was, 'how will Ron react to my telepathy?'

Harry was sure he'd have no trouble communicating, as he and Kaecilius had devoted plenty of time meditating on the souls of Harry's best friends to ensure they would hear him right away. The issue was that Harry was worried Ron wouldn't react well to his new ability. While considering everything he knew about Ron during his lessons, he had come to the conclusion that Ron probably felt overshadowed. The sixth son in a huge family, friends with the smartest girl in their class (if not the school), and, of course, best mates with the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived'. It was pretty much inescapable that Ron would have issues with feeling valued and appreciated when it seemed as if everyone around him was on such a high pedestal. How would Ron react when he found out that his famous friend had something new to set him apart from the crowd even further?

Well, nothing for it. Harry carefully opened the window and then tried not to let his mouth hang open in astonishment. The mystery of how Ron was here was easily solved when one noticed the flying car hanging outside the window. He could see Ron's mischievous twin brothers, Fred and George, looking at him from the front seats as well.

Taking in Harry's surprise, Ron whispered, "Harry! Thank Merlin we found you! We've come to rescue you!"

Harry cocked his head and said, _Rescue me?_

Ron, oblivious to the change in Harry's new method of speech, answered, "Of course, mate! After what happened at the end of the year, and then when you wouldn't answer any of my letters all month! We knew something was up, and Fred thought it might've been those nasty muggles. So we've come to break you out!"

Harry was honestly touched. Harry recalled his meeting with Dumbledore in the hospital wing, where the headmaster had told him he must stay with his relatives "for at least a month" in order to keep him safe all year. Well, he'd been stuck at the Dursley's for a week longer than that, so why not go with the Weasleys? They'd come all this way, it would practically be rude to say no.

He smiled and nodded decisively. Grabbing a pad of paper and a pencil, he scrawled a quick note to the Dursleys, simply saying "See you next summer." He placed it on his bed and was about to grab his trunk when he thought about his teacher. He would be going somewhere Kaecilius had never been, and he knew the man didn't want his existence, or at least his non-wizard status, to be public knowledge.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Hedwig gracefully soared in through the window, landing lightly on his shoulder. Harry scratched under her head like he knew she loved. _Oh, what a clever girl_ , he cooed to her, making her preen proudly. _I need your help, Hedwig. I need you to deliver a letter to Kaecilius. Is he in Britain?_

She hooted quietly, bobbing her head affirmatively. Harry smiled proudly at her. _Excellent. Give me a second._

He asked Ron for the address of where they were going, which the boy gave with a puzzled expression, and Harry sat down to write.

Dear Kaecilius,  
I have left with the Weasleys. They live at 91 Braddock Lane, Ottery St. Catchpole outside of Devon. I hope to see you soon. Sorry for the short notice.

Harry

He folded up the paper, gave Hedwig a treat and a chest scratch, and sent her on her way. Once he scrambled into the flying car with his things, he saw the confused looks everyone was giving him. He sighed. _I have a lot to tell you._

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One long story later, Fred and George were staring open mouthed at Harry.

"So, let us get this straight, Harrikins," one twin said.

The other twin picked up his train of thought. "You were involved in a fantastic battle against our useless ex-Defence teacher,"

"And You-Know-Who himself!"

"A battle to which we were not invited, Fred!"

"Quite right, George! Very rude!"

"The Dark Lord pushed a nasty bundle of… thoughts… into your head?"

"Leaving you completely mental," They finished together.

"Oi!" Ron interjected. "There's no call for that!"

George gave Ron an annoyed look. "Don't be daft, Ron. All the best people are mental."

"Present company included!" Fred added.

Ron settled down, slightly mollified, as the twins continued.

"So Dumbledore contracted an expert in Onomancy,"

 _Occlumency,_ Harry corrected.

"Whatever. An expert was summoned, is what we're saying, in order to fix you up."

"And apparently make you into a psychic."

 _I'm not a psychic,_ Harry responded, slightly exasperated. It was hard to be annoyed at the twins, but it seemed like they were purposefully misunderstanding him for laughs, and he was still worried about the look Ron had been giving him as he told his tale. _I can speak telepathically, and I'm still not very good at it. It takes a lot of practice, and I have to work really hard for everyone in a room to hear me._

"Well, we hear you just fine, so you can't be too bad at it," Fred rebutted.

"And finally," George concluded. "A house elf named Donkey has been stealing your mail, and only gave it back last night."

Harry nodded. _Dobby, but otherwise that's right. Sorry about not answering your letters, Ron._

Ron's face was still torn between unease and confusion, but he forced a smile. "S'all right, mate. Sounds like you couldn't help it."

Harry sighed, putting Ron's reaction aside for now. _So the letter I sent with Hedwig was to my teacher. I wanted to make sure he didn't worry. I mean, it'd be rather thoughtless to just leave without at least letting him know where I went, right?_

The way that all three Weasley boys suddenly looked away, uncomfortable, gave him a bad feeling.

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As soon as they landed outside of one of the strangest and most brilliant houses Harry had ever seen, the Weasley boys' discomfort was explained by the appearance of their mother. Their very loud, very angry mother.

"YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! DIDN'T I TELL YOU WE WOULD LOOK INTO THE BOY'S SITUATION! AND WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU VANISH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, DON'T EVEN BOTHER LEAVING A NOTE, JUST POOF! GONE! AND DID YOU THINK-"

She continued to yell at all three cowering redheads for several minutes, long past the point where Harry would've thought a person would need to stop for breath. Clearly, this woman was a professional scolder.

When she finally ran out of steam, she turned to Harry, who all but hid behind Ron. "Now Harry, dear, you must be famished. I'm sorry for my boys kidnapping you in the dead of night, but since you're here, you make yourself at home, all right?" Harry gave her a hesitant nod, which made her smile at him before she turned and led them all back to the house, mumbling to herself about "irresponsible boys" and "enchanted muggle toys."

Harry had been worried about needing to explain his method of speech to Mrs. Weasley, but it turned out to be an unfounded worry. Between the general chaos of the Weasley breakfast table and the doting mother piling more food on his plate than he could hope to eat in three days, no one expected him to speak. The only time he did, in fact, was when the youngest Weasley, little Ginny, made an appearance from upstairs and immediately stood stock still at the sight of him, eyes wide.

Harry cleared his throat. "H-hello!"

Her face immediately turned a vibrant red and she fled up the stairs. Harry turned to Ron, confused. Ron rolled his eyes. "She's been going on and on about meeting you for months. Usually we can't shut her up."

He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I reckon you should use your mind-speak trick with her, mate. If you stammer when you talk to her, she's liable to get the wrong idea."

Harry wasn't quite sure what 'the wrong idea' was, but nodded anyway.

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The rest of the day with the Weasleys went wonderfully. Mr. Weasley welcomed him into their home with open arms, Percy gave him a perfunctory nod (for Percy, this was practically a heartfelt hug), and best of all, he was able to hide or obscure his mouth whenever he had to speak so no one realized it had never opened. He had a few moments where he misjudged how many people were in room, and as a result, not everyone heard what he'd said. With the aid of Ron, Fred, and George, however, they were able to make each time seem like a misunderstanding.

As the sun set, Harry felt a thrill when he saw Hedwig winging toward him, clutching an envelope. After thanking her, he opened it and took out a letter and an oddly shaped pendant. The letter said:

Harry,

Hold this charm tightly in your hand and walk as far from the house as possible. Once you have, squeeze it tightly.

Kaecilius

Bewildered, Harry quietly told Ron where he was going and followed the instructions, stopping when he reached the gate at the edge of the property and holding the metal trinket as tight as he could. To his amazement, the telltale orange sparks appeared in front of him as Kaecilius stepped through a portal.

The man's face was tense, and his eyes darted around for a few moments before settling on Harry.

"I am less than thrilled with you, child," he said.

Harry ducked his head. _I'm sorry, sir. The Weasleys flew all the way to my house in a car, and they wanted to make sure I was safe. I knew I'd spent enough time with the Dursleys for the protection to last another year, so I didn't see the harm._

Kaecilius looked unimpressed. "Hmm. Putting aside the flying car, part, all the Weasleys came to get you? You've told me there are, what, eight of them? Must have been quite a large car."

Harry shrugged. _Nine, I think. But no, just Ron and the twins came._

"Two twelve year olds and two fourteen year olds flying a car through the sky at night, unsupervised, and you **didn't see the harm?** "

Put that way, Harry could definitely see what Kaecilius was driving at. _I'm sorry, sir. It wasn't a good idea. Believe me, Mrs. Weasley has already shouted her opinion of our… adventure… quite loudly._

Kaecilius humphed. "Well, at least one person in the household has some sense. And you're safe here? No one outside the house knows you're here?"

Harry didn't know, but knew that would probably not be a good answer. _I'm pretty sure._

Kaecilius obviously wasn't satisfied with that answer, but chose not to push further. "And what about me? What do they know?"

 _I only told Ron and the twins that you're a teacher Dumbledore hired to help me get better. They think you're a wizard. No one else even knows about you._

His mentor nodded approvingly. "Good. I'll be able to introduce myself in a moment, then."

He clapped his hands together.

"Now! The charm I gave you is a precious thing. It tells me where you are and gives me coordinates that I can use to travel to your location as soon as you squeeze it. You will also feel a small jolt of power come from it if I need to speak with you, in which case you, again, squeeze it to tell me where you are. It wasn't easy to create, and I'd appreciate it if you keep it close."

Harry looked at it closely. The design on the front resembled a red stylized pound sign, like what one might find on a telephone. He turned it over, and discovered it was…

 _An earring!?_ Harry asked in surprise. _I don't have pierced ears!_

Kaecilius rolled his eyes and extended his palm, silently asking for the charm. Once Harry handed it to him, the man said, "Hold still."

He leaned next to Harry's head, held the charm next to Harry's head in one hand, and waved the other hand in a quick motion. Harry felt a sudden pinch, like a bee sting, and he jumped backward, reaching for his suddenly tender earlobe. _What the… couldn't you ask first?_

Kaecilius snorted. "You're fine. Rub the charm with your thumb."

Mystified, Harry did. Kaecilius waved his arm and created a mirror in front of Harry. He watched in fascination as the red earring slowly faded from view, leaving an apparently unblemished lobe.

 _You still could've asked._ Harry grumbled.

"I could have," Kaecilius allowed. "And we would likely have wasted time as your squeamish sensibilities wouldn't like the thought of a tiny hole in an extraneous part of your ear. But now if you find yourself in a dangerous situation with no help in sight, I can at least travel there to assist you. You're not likely to lose that, not in the way you might lose a ring or a necklace. Imagine if you'd had it when you were facing that Quirrell person. I've been working on creating this since you asked about it a month ago. You're welcome."

Properly chastised, Harry lowered his eyes to the ground. _You're right, that would've been nice to have. Thank you._

He looked up again as he felt Kaecilius' hand settle on his shoulder. "I have found myself growing very fond of you, Harry. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you and I could've been there to prevent it. I will not lose another person so dear to me. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Kaecilius seemed to need a moment to pull himself together as well. He cleared his throat. "Now then, we need to figure out a way to continue our lessons, and I'd prefer not to be forced to sneak around like a thief now that we've left your… relatives. I think I should introduce myself to the kind people who are looking after you. If you'd lead the way?"

Harry smiled and began walking toward the Burrow, his teacher close behind.

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Harry opened the front door of the house hesitantly. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the sitting room, who turned to smile at him. "There you are, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "Ron said you had a letter?"

His face turned down, Harry replied, _A bit more than a letter, ma'am. There's someone I'd like you to meet._

"Meet?" Mr. Weasley asked, then stood as he saw the man behind Harry.

"Please forgive the intrusion, sir," Kaecilius said smoothly. "I hate to arrive uninvited, but it was necessary, I'm afraid."

Both adults looked flustered, but recovered quickly. "Well, if you mean no harm to those who dwell here, then I welcome you," Mr. Weasley said, a ring of formality in his tone. There was a faint tension in the air.

Kaecilius bowed low, showing the back of his head to everyone. Still facing the floor, he intoned, "Be at peace, for none who here dwell shall find harm at my hand."

The sudden tension vanished, leaving Harry confused but glad no one had drawn their wands. He had a feeling Kaecilius could do things with magic no wizard could dream of.

Mr. Weasley smiled. "Well now, I'm Arthur and this is my wife Molly. And you are?"

Kaecilius straightened and looked at the man with a neutral expression. "My name is Kaecilius, and I have been working with Harry over the summer as his teacher."

Both adults gave Harry surprised looks before turning back to his mentor.

"I thought Harry had done well in school," Mrs. Weasley said.

"He did, madam, to the best of my knowledge. However, I trust you know at least the generalities of what happened at the end of the year? Your son Ronald, after all, was involved directly."

Mr. Weasley looked uneasily at his wife. "Dumbledore told us some of it. Just up to Ron being injured by a giant chess set, but we thought there was more to it."

Kaecilius nodded gravely. "Indeed. Your son was injured as he, Miss Granger, and Harry here were trying to stop a possessed teacher from getting a powerful relic. Harry faced him down, but his mind was injured during the fight."

Mrs. Weasley bolted up out of her seat, rushing over to Harry and pulling him into a tight hug. "Oh, you poor dear. I had no idea! You haven't seemed at all injured today with us!"

Harry gently extracted himself from her arms and focused on both parents' minds. _That's because I've been hiding what's different about me. One of the things that happened to me gave me a strong speech impediment, and so I've been learning to adapt._

Harry tried to hold back a sigh at their flabbergasted faces. He knew he would be facing this a lot once he was back at Hogwarts, and just as Kaecilius had warned him, he'd better get used to it now.

Mr. Weasley recovered first. "Harry… that's incredible. How on Earth did you learn to do that?"

Kaecilius stepped in. "Many days of practice and hard work. He's an excellent student with a strong sense of dedication. But that is why I am here tonight."

Both parents turned to look back at the man. Mrs. Weasley evidently didn't realize her mouth was still hanging open.

Kaecilius continued, "I will need to meet with Harry every night to continue his work on this skill, among others. His speech is not the only way he was affected in the struggle. I was hoping I could have your permission to do that here?"

Mrs. Weasley finally closed her mouth with a snap, and gave his mentor a bright smile. "Of course! Of course you may! Anyone who would help this dear boy, and in so spectacular a way, is always welcome in this house. Isn't that right, Arthur?"

Her tone clearly left no room for argument. Mr. Weasley nodded. "...So, will you also be learning how to get better at speaking normally? N-not that there's anything wrong with your… erm… thought-speech… thing."

Kaecilius looked expectantly at Harry. The boy knew his teacher's opinion on the subject, and he had a sinking suspicion that he was about to be ganged up on. He decided to try and skirt the issue.

 _That's not the priority right now. I need to be able to communicate easily and quickly. I also have other skills that Kaecilius is working on with me, so that takes most of our time._

Mrs. Weasley was having none of it. "Harry, far be it from me to tell you how to live your life, but do tell me you'll work on your… well… verbal speech. What if you have to talk to a muggle?"

Harry saw Kaecilius' mouth twist slightly in distaste at the term, but the man clearly didn't want to cause a scene, potentially souring their good attitude towards him. Harry answered, _If we have time, maybe._

She gave a small humph, clearly not pleased with his response, but let it pass. "Very well," she replied, then turned back to his teacher. "Would you like our floo address, sir? It's probably the fastest way to get here."

Both Harry and Kaecilius had to fight smirks at that, knowing how wrong she was. "No, thank you, dear lady," he said diplomatically. "I'm allergic to one of the ingredients, and prefer to tele- er, apparate. But I appreciate the offer.

Harry and I will be going out now, to work."

 _One second, sir,_ Harry interjected. When everyone looked at him curiously, he turned to the kitchen doorway and said, _Come on out, everyone._

One by one, each of the Weasley children currently living at home poked their heads out from behind the frame, looking embarrassed to be caught out. Ron and the twins gave him small grins. Mrs. Weasley seemed to swell up in her indignation. "What have I TOLD YOU about eavesdropping!? We didn't raise you to-"

Harry chuckled, which derailed her anger briefly, and he quickly said, _It's alright, ma'am. I knew that they were there almost from the beginning, and I already told Ron, Fred, and George most of this. Did any of you have any questions?_

The siblings gave each other side glances, then shook their heads.

 _If you do, just ask me,_ he said kindly. _I don't mind as long as you're not too pushy about it. I know it's… a bit strange._

One twin grinned at him and looked at his brother. "A bit strange, he says."

"Indeed," answered the other. "Sounds like the Weasley family motto."

"You'll fit in swell here, Harry!"

And looking around at this family all accepting him for his oddities, Harry couldn't help but agree with a smile. He'd been here less than a day, and this felt more like home than the Dursleys ever had.

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 **A/N:  
A few things to cover. First, please bear in mind that Kaecilius is not a good guy, at least in the conventional sense. He's currently doing the right thing, but his motivations are never the best. He really does care for Harry, but doesn't really know how to show it well. Obviously, forcibly piercing someone's ear is not ok.**

 **Second, I hope someone got my Captain Britain reference I snuck into the beginning. While this will remain a crossover with just the MCU, I'm a big Marvel fan in general.**

 **Third, I am thrilled with the reception I'm getting for this story. Thank you all so much for following it and marking it as a favorite. Please continue to leave reviews! I love reading them!**

 **Finally, starting with the next chapter we begin time skipping. We'll cover a whole month in one chapter, and skip days and weeks at a time. If you find you don't like that format, I have bad news. It'll be that way pretty much all the way through Hogwarts. If I don't feature a scene from one of the HP books, assume it happened in a very similar way to canon.**

 **Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8: August Occasions

**Disclaimer: All hail the great JK Rowling. All hail Kevin Feige. These characters are not mine.  
Beta read by the ****incomparable Nyx the Author. Thanks a lot!**

 **A/N: Man, a LOT of you guys want Harry to stop relying on his telepathy. Duly noted. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 8: August Occasions

August 8

The sun was setting, turning the sky into brilliant shades of orange and purple above the Weasley's orchard. Kaecilius and Harry stared at each other, both feeling an odd combination of excitement and trepidation.

"It's time," the man said. "Your control is excellent, your memories are all restored to their natural state, and I'll be with you every step of the way. What could go wrong?"

Harry very nearly facepalmed. _Now you've done it,_ he groaned. _Don't sorcerers know not to say 'what could go wrong'? That practically guarantees something will go terribly, horribly wrong. We're going to get attacked by… I don't know… brain leeches now._

Kaecilius looked unconvinced. "We'll be fine. Let's begin."

Student and teacher made matching gestures and found themselves in the darkness of Harry's mind. The boy was now able to light the cavernous space without his mentor's help, and they soon could see that Kaecilius' assessment was accurate. All of Harry's memories and emotions were whirling and twirling around in the air, just as they should be. In the center of the space, Voldemort's malevolent lump still floated, held to the base of Harry's mind by the anchor that Kaecilius was still unable to explain or identify. Due to the hard work of both individuals, though, the lump had numerous cracks forming spider webs across its surface. They had been working to find a way in, and were now ready to make a try.

They came close to one of the cracks they had created. Even right next to it, the only thing they could see inside was blackness, wispy and unsettling. Kaecilius gestured Harry closer to him and wrapped a tight arm around the boy's shoulder.

"We do not want to get separated in there, Harry. Stay close to me."

With no more warning than that, he pulled himself and Harry into the crack, a feat only made possible by imagining themselves as stick figures as they slipped through.

Harry was glad for his teacher's vice-like grip, because it wasn't any more clear inside. They were buffeted by wisps of emotion, all of them negative and nearly alive, seeking a purchase in the human minds that had snuck inside their home. Hatred would wind its way around Harry's thoughts, focusing on how Harry felt about the Dursleys, Malfoy, and Snape. This would make it easier for fear and terror to find a foothold, forcing the boy to relive his encounter with Quirrell in the mirror room. Confusion and disorientation followed, pushing forward the memory of when Kaecilius had first overwhelmed him with memories. Pain, hatred, fear, confusion, hatred, fear, pain, over and over and over…

Harry came back to himself with the now familiar sensation of Kaecilius' hand squeezing his shoulder, willing Harry to feel his comfort and safety. The boy felt like he had taken a deep breath after being deep underwater. He could still feel the negative emotions clawing at him, willing him to be overwhelmed, but he had something strong to hold onto now.

"Remember Harry," the man said. "Find just one memory and latch onto it . Learn everything you can from it, and then we'll escape."

Harry nodded and began to search. In ordering his own mind, he had learned to feel the difference between a memory and an emotion, even without seeing it. Blundering through the maelstrom of negative emotions, he finally stumbled upon a memory. He grabbed on, and pulled himself into it.

He was standing on a desolate country road. He was looking at a ramshackle house, more of a shed, and standing next to one of the ugliest men he'd ever seen. The man had matted, dirty hair, and it was difficult to tell what color it was through the oil and dirt. He could just see the man's eyes, which were mad looking and faced opposite directions. Several teeth were missing from his mouth, which currently was split into a hair-raising smile.

Raising a pale arm, Harry pointed his wand at the man and calmly said, "You went to the muggles' house. You killed them all. You're proud of it. You'd do it again in a heartbeat. Do you understand?"

The ugly man gave a deep chuckle and nodded, whispering in a hiss, "Yes. Stupid muggles got what they deserved."

Harry nodded and quickly honed his mind on a place he had been many times. He pictured how the ground felt, how the buildings looked, and the smells and sounds he knew so well. He twisted his body and in an instant, his surroundings vanished. His mind was focused on a new place, and there was a squeezing sensation surrounding him, like he was inside the straw of a giant, being sucked upward. After a moment, the sensation ended, and Harry was standing outside of a dark building. He could just made out the wood "Wool" above a gate before he was pushed out of the memory.

He felt Kaecilius' hand on his shoulder again, and this time the squeeze his mentor gave was nearly painful. "You took your time. Let's go," the man said, and they fled out of the dark confines before finally pulling themselves out into the real world again, back in the Weasley's orchard at sunset.

Both of them sat on the ground for a few moments, taking deep breaths. Once Harry felt like he had recovered, he glared at his teacher. _I could have gotten another memory. Why did you pull me out so quickly?_

Kaecilius glared right back. "Don't take that tone with me, young man. We were beset on all sides, and I had told you beforehand we were only getting one memory. Don't tell me your short-term memory is also distorted now!"

Harry nearly snarled. How dare he! _I remember just fine, but I think you didn't believe I was capable of more! I can get any of Voldemort's memories if I want. I don't need your help!_

Kaecilius rose to his feet, and it seemed like electricity was crackling from his fingers. "You think so, you impudent whelp? You'd be nothing without me! Why, I would-"

"Harry! Kaecilius! Come have some treacle tart!" Mrs. Weasley's voice from the house cut through the evening air like a knife, and Harry immediately felt all of the rage inside him drain away. Why had he been so angry at Kaecilius? His master had given him clear instructions before they went in, and was only trying to protect him. Didn't he trust the man?

Harry could see Kaecilius going through a similar mood change, looking confused at first, then his face morphed to deep remorse. "Harry, I'm so sorry," he said after a few moments. "I didn't mean any of that. I think Voldemort's mental defenses may have carried over into this piece of him that's been forced inside you. I must say, they are formidable defenses. It poisoned both of our minds without us even realizing it."

Harry nodded, feeling the truth to his words. Kaecilius wanted to keep him safe. He knew that. He'd always known that. _I'm sorry too._

"Harry, listen carefully," his teacher said. "You are never to go into that… disgusting thing without me present. **Never.** Even with me beside you, we were nearly overwhelmed. I don't want to imagine what could happen if you were alone. Do you understand?"

Harry shuddered and nodded vigorously. However, Kaecilius' words stirred up the memory he had viewed. _Do you understand…_ Harry mused to himself.

His mentor looked at him, considering. "What was the memory? What did you see?"

Harry gave a small grin. _I think it was apparition. I know how it's done. I bet with a little practice, I could do it easily._

Kaecilius smiled, a glimmer of pride in his eye. "Well done. We'll focus on that next time. For now, though, I think it's time to rest. I believe I heard something about treacle tart?"

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August 16

Harry looked apprehensively at the fireplace, which was glowing an otherworldly green. He'd just watched Percy spin around and vanish inside it, and Mrs. Weasley was adamant that it was perfectly safe. Harry was sure that to any normal wizard, that might be true. He had one problem, though.

His damn stutter. Yes, he'd worked on it occasionally with Kaecilius, always at the man's insistence. Harry had been so certain that it wouldn't be an issue. Surely he'd be able to learn his spells using his mental ability. Surely he would become skilled enough to communicate even with perfect strangers mentally. Surely, surely, surely…

This was something that absolutely required him to speak aloud. Floo powder didn't have a mind to talk to, it only responded to vocal commands. This was not going to end well. If he could only reveal to the Weasley's his new ability to apparate, but Kaecilius had insisted it remain a complete secret from everyone. It would be a major advantage if no one knew he was capable of the talent. He'd worked very hard over the past week, and now apparating felt natural and almost easy. Much easier than some enchanted powder, at any rate.

He threw the powder into the fire and stepped into the gentle tickling flames. Concentrating on getting the words out with all his might, he shouted, "D-DIAG-GON ALLEY!"

He cursed himself as he began to spin. Flashes of rooms, bricks, and soot seemed to blind him as he turned faster and faster. Finally, he was spat out of a fireplace, rolling head over heels and landing in a heap. When the room stopped spinning, he looked around and saw a dark and dusty place, filled with sinister antiques covered in spiderwebs.

Harry quietly let out a few of the curse words he'd heard Seamus use last year. Stupid stutter. Stupid Floo. Now he was lost in some horrible Dark Arts shop with no way to know how to reunite with the Weasleys. He peeked out the bottom of the shop window, hoping to see something familiar landmark. No luck.

To his alarm, he did see Draco Malfoy walking down the street in his direction, accompanied by someone whose platinum white hair and stuck-up expression could only belong to a Malfoy, almost certainly his father. The man pointed at the sign above the shop Harry was currently in, and the boy panicked. Thinking fast, he looked behind the Malfoys for an alley or out of the way spot. He soon saw a corner that was in shadow, near a few large barrels. Perfect.

Harry focused on that spot, imagining himself there with every bit of his imagination. Squeezing his eyes shut, he spun in a tight circle and with a loud crack, apparated out of the store just as the Malfoys got to the door.

He opened his eyes and ducked behind the barrels, concerned that the noise would attract attention. He stepped on something squishy and recoiled, then nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw that it was the severed hand of something with bright purple fur and wickedly sharp claws. It was definitely time to leave.

He looked further up the street, and saw, to his delight, the white columns of Gringotts in the distance. He looked to make sure the coast was clear, then dashed from behind the barrels towards safety.

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"Harry!"

The boy in question looked up to see a bushy-haired girl making a beeline towards him. He smiled at her buck-toothed grin, happy to see a familiar face. _Hermione, it's great to see you,_ he said.

She stopped a few step in front of him and stared in shock. "Oh my, Harry. It's one thing to have you describe your telepathy in your letters. It's quite another to experience it. What a strange feeling, having your voice in my head!"

She then started asking him question after question, barely leaving him time to respond. Every time it seemed she had run out of points she wanted clarified, she would put her hands on her hips and exclaim, "But wait! Does that mean…"

It was a little maddening to Harry, and he could tell that Ron, who had been waiting for Harry next to the girl, was close to losing it. Finally, the redhead clapped his hands loudly and said, "Oy! Let's go get our books, yeah? Flourish and Blotts?"

If there was one thing that would derail Hermione from her curiosity, it was new books. She immediately nodded eagerly and began striding down the Alley. Harry quietly said, _Thanks,_ to Ron, who gave a grin as they followed her.

Unfortunately, the bookshop was more crowded than usual, due to a book signing by Gilderoy Lockhart, the author of this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks. Judging by the overwhelmingly female crowd standing in the store, Harry suspected it wasn't just his ability to vanquish monsters that made Lockhart popular. This suspicion was supported by the fact that when the blond author flounced into the room, the entire room seemed to sigh adoringly. Harry and Ron gave incredulous stares to Hermione when they noticed she had giggled softly.

The boys shook their heads and made to go back into the bookshelves, eager to purchase their required texts and escape. In their haste, they didn't see Lockhart's eyes light up as Harry passed close by, so Harry was taken quite off guard by the manicured hand that grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into Lockhart's one armed embrace.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man shouted over the throng. "Young Harry Potter here came today just for my new autobiography, Magical Me, which I will be giving him free of charge, along with my full published works!"

The audience burst into frenzied applause at the man's generosity, and one of the shop clerks hurried over carrying a veritable mountain of books, setting them on the table. Harry frankly wanted to curl up into a ball like a hedgehog.

"What he did NOT know," the aggravating author continued, "was that he would in fact be getting the REAL magical me in only a few weeks time! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that at the desperate request of Albus Dumbledore, I have accepted the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at Hogwarts this year!"

The cheering from the man's fans was now deafening, and Harry could barely hear the man say in his ear, "Smile big for the camera, Harry! This will get us on the front page of the Prophet!"

Harry saw a man point a large old-fashioned camera at them, but he'd had enough. Focusing only on the man beside him and putting lots of terror in his tone, Harry mentally shouted, _Look out, it's a werewolf!_

Harry fully expected the man who was so renowned for his monster slaying to jump forward and search out the danger, eager for the latest adventure.

What he did not expect was for the man to give a high pitched shriek and fall over backwards, waving his arms frantically in his panic to flee from the supposed beast. The fact that this happened at the exact moment the camera flashed was a happy coincidence.

Harry quickly pushed through the crowd back to his friends. Ron was on the ground clutching his knees, nearly breathless with laughter. Hermione, meanwhile, was craning over the crowd of people who now surrounded Lockhart, trying to either help him up or steal an item of clothing as a souvenir. Before Harry could say anything to them, another unwelcome voice sounded from behind him.

"Potter. I'll bet that was your dream come true. Adoring fans and cameras flashing all over you."

Harry sighed and turned to face the pinched sneer of Draco Malfoy, his patience already stretched thin. He didn't even have to concentrate to communicate with Draco. It required almost the same mindset of his uncle and Dudley to get through. _No, Malfoy_ , he said. _My dream is a school year without having to see your ugly mug. Can you make THAT dream come true?_

Harry was immensely satisfied to see his nemesis with his mouth hanging wide open in shock. Ron snickered, "Careful, there. You're liable to catch doxies with a big open target like that, Malfoy."

The boy snapped his mouth shut, and a confused but calculating look came over the blonde's face. "How did you do that, Potter?" he asked suspiciously. "Some kind of trick?"

Harry merely smirked. The longer Malfoy stayed unsure of himself, the longer he could go without listening to stupid insults. Draco opened his mouth to say more, but turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking behind him to see his father calmly looking at the group of Gryffindors. "Draco," the man said, his voice oozing self-satisfaction. "Won't you introduce me to your… classmates?"

Draco stiffened and turned back to Harry. "Father, this is Harry Potter, of the Noble house of Potter, Ronald Weasley, of the Ancient House of Weasley, and Hermione Granger."

No one missed the clear sound of dismissal at the last name he mentioned, nor how Mr. Malfoy completely ignored Harry's friends in favor of staring openly at Harry. "Mr. Potter," he said coolly. "Lucius Malfoy, of the Noble house of Malfoy at your service. Truly, an honor to meet the Boy-Who-Lived."

Harry was unsure how to respond to any of this, but settled for a polite but small bow, and while his head was pointed at the floor, he said, _Glad to meet you, sir._

Mr. Malfoy gave a small smile at Harry's manners, but they were interrupted by Mr. Weasley pushing through the crowd and saying to Ron, "There you all are! Come on then, we've gotten your books and are ready to push off!"

Mr. Malfoy's smile quickly changed to a sneer, nearly identical to the one on his son's face. "Arthur Weasley, dear me," he said. "I hear you're kept busy these days, making raids on respectable wizards to grab trinkets from their homes."

Harry could see trouble brewing, and said quietly to Ron and Hermione, _C'mon, guys. Let's get out of this crowd._

They quietly backed away from the rising confrontation and walked to the doors of the shop, hearing rather than being caught up in the brawl that started only a few moments later. Ron looked like he wanted to go back and see what was happening, but Hagrid walked into the store and waded into the fray after only a few moments, ending the altercation.

Before long, the rest of the Weasleys emerged from the store, the shell shocked Granger parents in tow. Mrs. Weasley was haranguing her husband, who had the beginnings of a magnificent shiner. At the sight of the rest of brood waiting patiently outside, she smiled and sighed, "See, Arthur? At least a few of our children have sense to avoid conflict when possible. Merlin save me from headstrong Gryffindors…"

The group began heading to the public floo, and Harry lagged behind, wishing he could get back to the Burrow any other way. He squared his shoulders. The Weasleys and Kaecilius were right. He needed to improve his speaking ability. It was time to stop hiding behind his new power, no matter how tempting it may be.

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August 31

Student and teacher sat in companionable silence, watching the sun descend on the horizon and sipping their tea. Their lesson was finished, and Kaecilius was quite pleased with how far Harry had come. They had worked on perfecting his apparition techniques, getting Harry to the point of appearing in places he couldn't see without a hair out of place. They had entered Harry's mind and ensured that not a speck of the oily residue that Voldemort's fragment frequently spread was touching Harry's mind. They'd gotten as close as they'd dared to the anchor that still frustrated and worried them, and were sure it wasn't causing any damage at present.

Most importantly to Kaecilius, they had spent a goodly amount of time working on Harry's stutter. The boy hated focusing on it, but his eyes had been opened to what might happen if he let the problem fester. As Kaecilius had warned, Harry would probably never get rid of the impediment since it was partially a mental issue. Over the past few days, however, it had gone back to the level it was when Harry first met his teacher, if not better. Kaecilius only hoped that Harry would continue to practice while at school.

Kaecilius cleared his throat. "Harry, I've been holding back from telling you this, but there's something you need to know."

Harry looked over, curious. "What is it?"

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I will not be continuing our lessons through the school year."

Harry's eyes widened. "B-but why not? Did I d-do something wrong?"

Kaecilius laid a calming hand on his shoulder, and Harry instantly relaxed. He always felt better from that simple gesture. "No, Harry. There are two reasons I won't see you. First, Hogwarts has wards that are nearly impenetrable. I can create a portal there, but it is much more difficult, and it drains my energy quite a bit to attempt it. Your apparition, for example, cannot be done on Hogwarts grounds. The castle is a veritable fortress, and unless the worst happens, you should be safe there."

Harry looked at his shoes, pensive. "And the other reason, s-sir? He asked.

"The other reason is for your benefit. I still don't know what that anchor in your mind is, but I am greatly troubled by it. I will be spending the year researching and contacting acquaintances, trying to decipher just what is holding that vile chunk of Voldemort inside you. We **will** figure out a way to remove it."

Harry nodded slowly. "All right, sir. B-but what about that plot D-Dobby was warning me about? What if he's right and something bad happens?"

Kaecilius looked at him sternly. "Well, first you should speak to an adult about any problem you're having. That's one of the most important responsibilities of a teacher, to help you solve your problems and issues. If, and only if, you have exhausted all other options, you may squeeze your earring, and I promise I will strive to be there immediately. Any questions?"

Harry shook his head, working to keep in the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "I'm really g-gonna miss you, sir," he choked out, hating how emotional he sounded.

He was a bit surprised to hear a similarly damp voice coming from his teacher. "I'll miss you too, but this is not goodbye. This is only 'farewell for now'. I intend to see you next summer and help you improve even more. Perhaps we can start building an Occlumency mind scheme!"

Harry gave a watery smile. "I'd like th-that, sir."

Kaecilius squeezed his shoulder. "Very good. We'll plan on it. Start imagining how you'd like yours to look. Now, before I leave you, let's go over everything you will be practicing and working on this year. I want to be sure you are focused, even without our nightly lessons."

Harry wiped his eyes and nodded determinedly. "I'm going to f-figure out a way to f-free Dobby. All the house elves, if I c-can."

Kaecilius chuckled. "A worthy goal. Just be careful to research and get all the information you can before you take action. You don't want to hurt him by accident."

The boy grimaced at the thought before continuing. "I'll keep w-working on my mind and make sure the p-piece of Voldemort's mind isn't spreading."

His teacher nodded, then said grimly, "But don't try to explore in there alone. It is not safe, and I won't be there to pull you out."

Harry agreed, and finished by saying, "And I'll w-work harder in my lessons and g-get better grades, so I can be the b-best wizard I can be."

Kaecilius gave a wide smile at that, and Harry truly felt like that goal was attainable. It was strange, but he'd never really felt like trying that hard to get the best marks before. He'd had no one to keep on him about his work, and so he'd merely meandered along with Ron, making sure he didn't fail and relying on Hermione to keep him afloat. Now though, he wanted to make Kaecilius proud of him, and one of the clearest ways to make that happen was by being studious and hardworking.

His teacher seemed pleased, but cocked his eyebrow at his student, seemingly waiting for something else. Harry merely stared back, stymied. Kaecilius sighed, and said, "And you'll work on speaking aloud all the time, correct?"

Harry sighed. Yes, he'd seen what might happen if he didn't work on that skill, but he still hated it. Having the stutter in the first place made him feel broken and incomplete, and he detested that feeling. It was so easy to slip into his telepathy now that he would do it without thinking. "Yes, sir," he replied, sounding quite dejected. "I'll try."

Kaecilius laughed and squeezed his shoulder again, and they both turned to look back on the sunset, content to enjoy the evening together while they still could.

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 **A/N: This will be the format for most chapters for quite awhile, but even more spread out over time. Second year is going to be 4 chapters at the MOST, probably closer to 2. If you don't see a scene from the novel in this fic, assume it happened off screen exactly as** ** _Chamber of Secrets_ described _._**

 **On that note, if there are certain scenes you really want to see Harry involved in from second year, tell me in a review! I have the scenes in my mind that I want to include, but I also take some requests.**

 **Also, don't assume Harry is going to actually go whole-hog with the verbal speech. He's still a 12 year old boy who is overly concerned with how people think of and** **perceive** **him. And let's face it, telepathy seems cooler to a kid. He may have felt motivated to improve at that moment, but it probably won't last long.**

 **Finally, I really don't want to hear complaints about Harry learning apparition in a week. In Half-Blood Prince, one of his classmates splinches themselves on the very FIRST lesson. With a dedicated tutor and the ability to know exactly how apparating feels and is done by a professional, he will of course figure it out easily. Not every skill Harry learns from Voldie's mind will be mastered quickly.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading, favoriting, and following! Please review with your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 9: Puzzles of the Past & Present

**Disclaimer: The Wizarding World is property of JK Rowling. The Marvel universe belongs to Marvel and Disney. This story borrows liberally from both.**

 **A/N: Final warning- Here come the time skips!  
Beta read by Nyx the Author, who does fantastic work! Thanks!**

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Chapter 9: Puzzles of the Past and Present

September 1

Harry happily munched on his shepherd's pie as he basked in the feeling of being back at Hogwarts. How he'd missed the food, the students, the teachers. Merlin, he thought he'd almost missed Snape. As Dumbledore sat back down from delivering his start of term announcements, Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table and immediately caught Malfoy's eye. The blond boy had been staring at him in speculation since they'd entered the Great Hall. Harry wasn't sure why Malfoy hadn't bothered them on the train ride here, but he was grateful for the peace.

"Pudding, Harry?" asked Ron, holding up the dessert in question. Harry grinned and spooned some on his plate, then leaned forward to whisper to Hermione something he'd been thinking over for several minutes. _Hey, how do you suppose we get all this food? Is it magic, just popping out of nowhere?_

Hermione shook her head. "No, Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration has five exceptions, with food being the first. You can't just create food out of nothing. Why do you ask?"

Harry sat back and put his hand on his chin, deep in thought. _Well, you remember me telling you about Dobby? He does everything for this family of his. Cooking too, I would assume?_

Hermione nodded slowly. "You mean… you're wondering if there's a house elf here, one who cooks all this?"

Fred, only a few seats over, laughed wholeheartedly and nudged his twin next to him. "Bless them, George," he said. "They think a house elf cooks the meals for all four houses."

George snorted. "That would be one impressive little elf, Fred."

Harry looked at them both, unamused, and waited for them to continue, but it seemed they were content to stare at him and Hermione with Cheshire grins. He finally decided to bite. _All right, then. How is it done?_

They glanced at each other and nodded slightly, then turned back to the boy. "We'll make you a deal, Harrikins," one said.

"Teach us how to do what you do, and we'll show you how we get fed and watered every day," the other completed.

Percy, across from the twins, nearly leapt from his seat in panic. "OH NO, you don't!" he shouted. "The last thing we need is you two able to plot your chaos telepathically! Harry, there is a Kitchen downstairs staffed entirely by house elves, probably about one hundred of them. They keep the whole castle tidy besides."

The twins slouched in their seats, upset at having their plans disrupted. Harry caught Fred's eye and gave a very small wink, whispering, _Show me how to get in the kitchen, and you have a deal._

Fred gave no outward sign of Harry's offer, merely giving a miniscule nod of his head. Harry had a feeling he would regret this later, but if he was able to free Dobby from his servitude as a result, he was sure it'd be worth it.

Only a few minutes later, Harry felt the oddest sensation. He'd never experienced anything like it, but if he had to describe it, he would liken it to someone knocking on a door inside his head. The feeling was coming from the head table, and as he turned his attention to the staff sitting there, he saw that Professor Dumbledore was looking right at him, his eyes twinkling merrily. Harry tilted his head slightly, wondering what he'd felt, and he suddenly heard the headmaster's kind voice echoing in his mind. _I apologize for disturbing your meal, the voice said. But I'd appreciate it if you would wait by the house points hourglasses after your meal. We have a few things to discuss._

Wide-eyed, Harry nodded and waited for everyone else to begin getting up and heading to bed. Whispering to his friends that he'd see them shortly, he lagged behind the rest and stopped outside the hall by the hourglasses, still empty for the beginning of a new year.

Once the other students were past, he saw Dumbledore exit the hall and beckon him over. Trotting to the professor, they walked down the hallway together, Harry fit to bursting with questions. He stifled them with difficulty as they came to an alcove with a ugly looking gargoyle. Dumbledore quietly said, "Blood pops," and the statue leapt aside to reveal a staircase. After climbing it, they entered an office filled with shining trinkets that danced and spun on their stands, bookcases ten feet tall, and more moving portraits than Harry had ever seen in one place. They both took seats on either sides of a wooden desk, and Dumbledore smiled at him. "Well now," the man began. "I have been getting an occasional report from my friend at Kamar-Taj, but I would very much like to hear from you about your summer."

Harry had been warned by Kaecilius that this might happen, and to be honest with the old professor. After all, Dumbledore was the reason that Kaecilius had been called in the first place.

Harry obliged the man, telling him about his lessons, the work he'd gone through to repair the mental damage, and the things he'd learned. Dumbledore was interested in very strange parts of the story, however. He wanted Harry to describe Dobby's appearance in as much detail as possible, and when Harry mentioned the memory of Voldemort's apparition, the man bolted straight out of his chair. He hurried over to one of his cabinets and drew his wand, levitating a large stone basin to sit in front of Harry. Harry looked into it curiously, and saw it was filled with a strange glowing liquid that seemed to move on its own. Dumbledore knelt next to Harry's chair and said quietly, "Dear boy, I need you to picture that memory as clearly as you can. Think of it from the beginning to the end. Tell me when you're ready."

Harry eyed the headmaster strangely, but did as he requested. As soon as Harry nodded, Dumbledore placed the tip of his wand to Harry's temple and murmured a spell before pulling the wand away. Now, however, there was a glowing wisp that Harry recognized as a memory from his own mind. Dumbledore carried it over to the bowl and tapped it in. "One moment, please, "Dumbledore said, and placed one finger into the liquid before his eyes went blank. About twenty seconds passed as Harry fidgeted in the silence, then the man seemed to come back to himself, looking down at Harry with a triumphant smile.

"Thank you, Harry," he said. "I've suspected something like this for many years, but this is solid proof that I've never had."

Harry was very confused. _What proof? Proof of what?_

Dumbledore gave him a look that Harry was beginning to recognize, a look that meant, 'I don't know if I want to share this information with you'. While Dumbledore certainly expected Harry to share everything he knew, it wasn't a two way street. After a moment of consideration, though, the man said, "In that memory, Voldemort was speaking to a man I have met, one who died in prison for the murder of three muggles. I have always found those deaths strange and suspicious, and now I have evidence that he was wrongfully incarcerated. I wish I could give him justice, but it provides me with more clues I can follow."

Harry still didn't understand. _But the man agreed that he'd killed the muggles. He thought they deserved it. Didn't he?_

Dumbledore sighed, "No. At least not entirely. What you saw in the memory was Voldemort controlling the mind of that man, forcing him to think he had committed the murders. It's a vile spell, the Imperius. Nearly undetectable, nearly unbeatable unless one has a strong will."

Dumbledore stood still, staring out a darkened window for a moment, clearly lost in his thoughts. Quietly, Harry gave a small cough which broke the headmaster from his reverie. "Oh, yes. I apologize for my wool-gathering. Now, are there other memories you've explored in your mind?"

Harry scuffed his shoe on the ground. _I'm sure there are lots more memories, he said. But Kaecilius told me not to try and explore them without him. We got caught in Voldemort's defenses last time._

The older man nodded, but clearly wanted to add his two cents. "Now that you've seen those defenses, could you counter them by yourself?"

Harry drew back for a moment and thought. _Maybe. But Kaecilius really wanted me to stay out of them for now._

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "Then we should listen to him. If, however, you feel you are strong enough to find out more from those memories, I only ask that you share with me what you discover. This information may very well save lives. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, then felt the door open behind him. It was Professor McGonagall, looking at him expectantly. He turned back to the headmaster, who said, "Before we say goodnight, I wanted to make you aware of one thing. At our first staff meeting, I informed all the professors of your… method of communication. No professor will draw attention to it should you choose to speak telepathically in class. I know Kaecilius has instructed you to speak aloud whenever possible, but there may be times when it is more convenient for you to speak quickly. I leave it at your discretion."

Harry smiled at the man gratefully, and bid him a quiet good night.

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September 6

Harry and the twins had been unable to sneak away until that Sunday evening, but as soon as was possible, they were walking down a hallway in the dungeons, the twins leading the way. They came to a large portrait of a bowl of fruit, and they turned to Harry with serious expressions.  
"We meant it about our deal, Harry," one said. "Can you teach us to speak like you can?"

 _It'll take awhile, but yes,_ Harry assured them. _It took me over a month to start doing it well, and I still have issues._

Harry had found his classes a bit of a mixed bag. In Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms, he had spoken aloud sporadically, just as he'd promised Kaecilius. He felt comfortable enough, both with the professors and the lack of Slytherins, to struggle through his stutter despite the way his classmates sometimes looked at him. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, there was no need to speak either way, as Lockhart very much enjoyed the sound of his own voice. Astronomy and History of Magic similarly didn't require hardly any speaking, and Harry spoke telepathically when needed.

It was Potions that was the real issue. Though he'd had the class only once so far, Harry knew it would be a struggle again this year. He was loathed by both the Slytherins and Professor Snape, and he knew stuttering would be seen as weakness they could exploit. Whenever required to communicate, he had decided he would do so with his mind.

Snape, as Dumbledore had promised, hadn't said anything about it during class, but after the bell rang, he'd whispered to Harry that he wouldn't tolerate any 'showing off' just because of his new abilities. A few of the snakes had started whispering to their friends when he'd responded back as respectfully as possible, but Harry could tell that not everyone could hear him, despite him trying to broadcast loudly to the entire room. It was difficult to empathize with so many different minds at once, especially when their mindsets were frequently very different from each other. The negative attitudes that had festered between Gryffindor and Slytherin didn't help matters either.

Harry shook his head, clearing his thoughts and refocusing on the twins. _But I still need to know how to find the kitchens first,_ he said. _That was the deal._

"No worries, Harry," the other twin assured him as he turned to face the portrait. "Just tickle the pear, and you're in. Go on, try it."

Harry felt quite foolish as he reached over and followed those instructions, but once the pear began to giggle and squirm, he knew the twins had been serious. The portrait swung open.

Percy had underestimated the number of house-elves. There were at least one hundred and fifty of the little beings here, and about twenty of them turned with excited expressions as soon as Harry and the twins stepped over the threshold of the kitchen door. They all rushed over and crowded around the three Gryffindors, repeatedly asking in their squeaky voices how they could help the boys.

Fred and George, laughing, asked for some snacks to which five elves happily guided them away. The remaining elves looked at Harry with expectant faces, ready to serve. Harry haltingly said, _Do any of you… know where house elves came from?_

Identical looks of shock came to each little face, and Harry was worried he'd offended them. _I'm sorry,_ he quickly apologized. _It's just… I have a friend who's a house elf, and I need to help him._

One tiny elf stepped forward with a questioning expression. "You has a… house elf… friend?"

 _Well yes,_ Harry responded. _He's helped me, and I want to pay him back. But I can't do that unless I know more about house elves. Do you have… I don't know… a history book?_

Someone cleared their throat to Harry's right, and he spun to see a house-elf quite unlike the others. Where they were all miniscule, this elf has skinny and taller, coming up to Harry's neck. The other elves all wore greying togas with the Hogwarts logo emblazoned on the front. This elf's toga had no logo and was a faded black color.

"You seeks the history of the elves?" it said, with a voice still higher than most humans, but lower than the squeaky note of his brothers.

Harry nodded, unsure how to address this new creature. _Yes, sir. If I may._

The honorific set off a furious whispering from the elves still surrounding Harry's legs, and the taller elf gave them a fierce glare that shut them up quickly. "Come, Harry Potter. Pliny will tell you what you wishes to know."

Pliny led Harry to a small table where they both sat on either side. One of the other elves hurried over with cups of pumpkin juice and a plate of sandwiches. Harry thanked the elf, which set off a round of giggling and bows from the astonished creature. Once it had stepped away, Harry asked, _Are you in charge, Pliny?_

Pliny gave a strange sound, halfway between a laugh and a sneeze, and replied, "Pliny is head elf, yes. Pliny is also elf teacher, to train new elveses to serve Hogwarts and its students. Pliny has an apprentice who will take over once Pliny dies, and who must know all of the house-elf histories."

Harry nodded to show he understood, and the elf continued. "First, Harry Potter, house elves is only what we calls ourselves now. We wasn't always called that. House elves was once a proud race called the Sylves, and we has come from a place unlike Earth. We had no masters, but we did choose to help our makers, the Tyannans."

Harry was so astonished, he couldn't help but interrupt. _I'm sorry, hold on,_ he said. _Are you telling me that house-elves are aliens?_

Pliny looked offended. "You says that like house-elves is the only ones around! Where does Harry Potter think centaurs and merfolk and goblins comes from?"

Harry leaned back in his chair, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. Binns had certainly never covered this. _I'm sorry, I didn't know. Please, go on._

The elf still didn't look mollified, but obliged. "Like Pliny said, the Sylves helped our creators, the Tyannans. Tyannans was a wonderful people, bringing life to every planet they visited. The Sylves helped that life grow and thrive until it could survive on its own."

Pliny scowled. "But it could not last forever. The Tyannans told the Sylves that the universe was collapsing, that eventually everything would be crunched and smunched together, and everything would die. The Tyannans had a plan for how to hide and survive, and told the Sylves they could come with them. But the Sylves didn't want to hide. They wanted to find a way to keep helping new things and making them grow.

"They used their magic to open portals, calling out into each one and waiting for someone to answer. They made portal after portal, and sometimes they gots answers back. Some answers was evil, and the Sylves would close the portal before the evil could escape. But one day, they gots a good answer.

"There was a man on the other end, and he promised to help the Sylves come to a new world and make new things grow. All the Sylves had to do was swear to serve the wizards and witches, and they would have a good life making new things and helping them to thrive again."

Pliny leaned back in his chair, finished with his tale. Harry sat still for a minute, processing all he'd heard, then remembered why he'd come to the kitchens in the first place. _Pliny, what if there's an elf who hates serving his family?_

A chorus of gasps around Harry made him swivel his head to see many of the house elves had stopped what they were doing to listen to Pliny's story. They all looked horrified at his question. Pliny himself appeared to swell indignantly. "Elves lives to serve our families and our houses. There is no greater pleasure to elveses."

Harry put up his hands, trying to calm the elf. _What I mean is, what if there's an elf who is not treated well? If their family hurts them? Shouldn't they be allowed to find a family that treats them better?_

Pliny's ears, which had been standing straight up in his anger, drooped down low and tucked behind the elf's head. "Such an elf should be allowed to find a new family, yes. But that is not the way our agreement was made. When the Sylves came to Earth, they signed a contract with wizards, and all wizards knowed how honorable and hardworking the Sylves was. No wizard or witch would dare raise a hand against us. But times pass and ages go by. Wizards doesn't know the histories anymore. Wizards forget, and some wizards is cruel."

Harry felt like the hope that had risen in him had deflated. _Is there nothing he can do to escape?_

Pliny shook his head. "Nothing, Harry Potter. An elf can only be freed if his master or mistress hands him clothes. And if a house-elf has no master, then he is a disgrace to all elves. He wanders the land, alone and abandoned."

Harry sat quietly, looking at his hands. Pliny leaned forward. "Does Harry Potter have more questions?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. _No, thank you Pliny. You've been very helpful_.

He gave a small grin to the elf. _You're a much better history teacher than Professor Binns. I bet the students would love History of Magic class if you taught it._

Pliny's ears stood back up and the elf's eyes glistened. "Pliny is unworthy of such praise, Harry Potter. But Pliny thanks you. Please come visit the kitchens again anytime."

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Harry, Fred, and George were headed back up from the kitchens, all thoroughly weighted down with sweets from the elves. The twins walked ahead, chatting merrily to each other, and Harry trotted behind, lost in thought as he nibbled on a scone.

It was as they passed the second floor that Harry heard a cold voice, a voice filled with venom, which said, "Come. Come to me. Let me rip you! Let me tear you! Let me kill you!"

Harry dropped all his food and yelped, turning every direction to find the source of the voice. There was no one else there but Fred and George, who had turned back and looked at Harry in confusion. He glared at them. _Very funny, guys. Hilarious. Now my food's all dusty and dirty. Thanks a lot._

The twins looked at each other with uncertainty. "We… didn't do anything, Harry," Fred said.

His glare did not abate. _Yeah, right,_ he said. _Let's make a spooky voice about killing someone and make Harry piss himself. Real nice._

Now they looked genuinely alarmed, and it was that look that made Harry realize that they were telling the truth. _Well, you heard it too, right?_

They shook their heads, eyes wide.

Harry strained his ears, trying to hear the voice again, but he only could hear a faint whooshing noise, like water rushing down a drain.

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November 7

Harry couldn't believe his rotten luck. First he'd been suckered into going to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party, which meant he and his friends had missed the Halloween feast. Then on the way back to the tower, he'd heard that terrifying voice again, which had led them to Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, frozen and hung up by her tail next to an ominous message written in blood. And to top it all off, everyone in the school had come upon the three of them standing in front of the grotesque tableau, making it look like they'd created it. Wonderful.

Dumbledore had believed their innocence, thankfully, but that didn't change how the rest of the school had reacted. Some of the other students had been whispering over the past two months whenever he passed them in the hallways. He'd been somewhat used to this thanks to the always obnoxious 'Boy-Who-Lived' legend. He'd even heard the phrase 'Silent Sorcerer' bandied about when passing tables in the Great Hall. Harry had to suppress a smile each time. If any of these wizards actually knew what a sorcerer was, they'd be horrified at the thought of a magical muggle.

Now though, the tone of the whispers had changed from awe to nervousness and fear. The students already held him to a different standard than a regular second-year. Harry had never wished more to be a everyday anonymous student.

Ron and Hermione had gone ahead to class while he was tying his shoe. He'd straightened up and grabbed his bag when he felt a hand grab his shoulder from behind. It was Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff in his year that he'd worked with occasionally. The look on his face, however, was far from friendly. "Look Potter," he said. "What's the big idea with Mrs. Norris? I certainly didn't like her, but she didn't deserve… whatever that was."

Harry was dumbfounded. _You can't be serious,_ he protested. _You don't actually think I had anything to do with it!_

Justin scoffed. "What am I supposed to think, Potter? You come back from summer break able to… to talk into our brains, and then you're found standing there staring at your handiwork while everyone else was at the feast! If you're not the one responsible, you're doing one hell of an impression!"

The boy stomped away, and Harry looked around surreptitiously. The few students who'd stopped at the argument eyed him like he was a dangerous beast. He growled low in his throat, and they startled and hurried away. All right, that probably hadn't been a great idea, but it had felt good.

Just when he'd almost made it to class, he was waylaid again. This time it was by the excitable Colin Creevey, a first-year Gryffindor that had taken to following Harry around. "Hiya, Harry!" he exclaimed. "You'll never guess what I heard!"

Harry sighed. He could see the doorway to History of Magic from where he stood. _What is it, Colin?_

Colin looked to either side as if checking for eavesdroppers, then blurted out loudly regardless, "A boy in my class said you're the Heir of Slytherin, sent to clear out all the muggle born from Hogwarts! Isn't that wild?"

The few students in the hallway definitely stopped and stared then, trying to hear his response.

Just to spite them, he focused solely on Colin's mind and said, _Listen, Hermione Granger, one of my best friends, is a muggle born. I would never hurt her, nor anyone else. You know that, right?_

Colin paled and nodded frantically.

 _Good. Now, I've got to get to class. I bet you do too. Off with you._ He shooed Colin away, who scurried immediately. He looked over the students who still were staring and dismissed them as unimportant.

He ran into the classroom right as the bell rang, and quietly filled in his friends about the two conversations. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. "What a stupid thing for people to say! At least you were nice enough to Colin. I know he's a bit… much."

She turned and looked at the droning Professor Binns with a determined gleam in her eyes. Then she did something no other student had probably done in years. She raised her hand to ask him a question. "Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets."

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November 8

Harry looked up from his homework in the Gryffindor common room to see Ron darting through the portrait door and making a beeline for him. The redhead had a look of panic on his face as he knelt down next to Harry, out of breath.

"Mate," he gasped quietly. "Remind me again what you said to Colin yesterday."

Harry gave him a look of complete confusion, and Ron whispered desperately, "Quickly, please!"

 _Ok…_ Harry replied, relaying the conversation as best as he could remember.

Ron waved impatiently once he'd finished. "Yes, and you said all that so everyone could hear you, right?"

Nonplussed, Harry said, _No, people were being nosy, and it was none of their business. I only said it to him. Look, you can ask him, he'll back me up._

Ron groaned. "No, Harry. We can't. Colin's in the hospital wing, petrified the same as Mrs. Norris! Worse, there's a hallway full of people who are swearing up and down that yesterday he accused you of being the Heir, and you said something to him that made him run away in terror! It does not look good, mate!"

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December 17

There were only two days left of term, and Harry had never wished more for the castle to be empty. The last month had been torture for him, as almost every student in the castle believed him guilty of petrifying Colin. In retrospect, he could see how the conversation could've been misinterpreted, but he hardly could've known that Colin was being targeted!

There were two bright spots to the situation. First, Dumbledore had spoken to him privately and assured him that he knew Harry was innocent, then made an announcement to that effect that same day at dinner. Unfortunately, most students simply believed Dumbledore was just being biased in the favor of a fellow Gryffindor.

The other bright spot was how tightly some of his classmates had banded around him. The Weasley siblings and Hermione, of course, wouldn't believe a word against him. But most of his Gryffindor yearmates, like Neville, Seamus, and Lavender, were also staunchly behind him. This was lucky, because the rest of the school had taken to antagonizing him whenever possible, and his friends were constantly running interference. Jinxes in the corridor, prank items in his bag, vicious whispers in the classroom, and curses shot up stairwells were now familiar hazards in Harry's daily routine, and he was getting sick of it.

Classes were practically over for the term, but Harry's friends had insisted he go with them to the just-announced "Dueling Club" that was taking place in the Great Hall. He had reluctantly agreed, but told them he would be hanging close to the doors to the entrance hall. He had no intention of being caught in an ambush by other students, and he knew the chaos that was endemic to a dueling club was the perfect cover for said ambush to occur.

So it was that he and his friends observed the 'friendly' duels taking place under the questionable guidance of Lockhart and Snape. He was quite glad for his forethought as he saw students sprouting boils, gashes, horns, and tentacles from spells gone astray.

Snape called up Malfoy to help show off dueling technique on the main platform, and seemed to be looking over the room for someone else to partner with him. Having a sneaking suspicion of Snape's motives, Harry ducked low behind Ron, and eventually Snape called up Justin Finch-Fletchley with an aggravated sigh.

What followed was certainly not what Lockhart had in mind. Expelliarmus, the disarming spell, was completely forgotten by the two first years as they traded the nastiest jinxes they knew. Finally, Malfoy shouted "Serpensortia!" and a large black snake burst from the blonde's wand, slithering hurriedly towards Justin.

"Allow me to remove that!" Lockhart cried, and aimed his wand at the serpent, a bright white light flinging it into the air where it landed even closer to Finch-Fletchley, who screamed in terror as the snake bared its fangs.

Harry couldn't have said why he did it. He couldn't even recall opening his mouth, but he heard himself shout "STOP! Leave him alone!" at the snake, and felt himself pushing forward through the crowd.

And to his astonishment, the snake immediately listened. It closed its mouth and swung its pointed face in Harry's direction. After a tense moment, it bowed its head and curled up docilely. Harry skidded to a stop and quickly realized that everyone was staring at him with awe and fear.

He felt a tugging on the back of his robes, and let Hermione pull him out of the hall, Ron and the twins at her heels. She dragged him into an empty classroom and pushed him into a chair. "Harry Potter, what was THAT?" she shouted.

Harry shrugged. _I just… I didn't want Finch-Fletchley to die, ok? I guess it was a little loud, but at least the snake listened and didn't bite him._

Ron shook his head, his cheeks pale. "Harry, what do you mean by listened? What did you say?"

Harry glared at Ron. _You were there, Ron. I told it to leave him alone._

Hermione stomped her foot. "Harry, we had no idea what you said. You just hissed at it. You were using Parseltongue. Why would you not tell us you could do that? We are your friends!"

 _I didn't know it was a big deal,_ he replied. _I've only done it once, at a zoo. I'm sure it's a pretty common skill._

One of the twins laughed hollowly. "Harry, no one speaks it here."

"It's a trait of Salazar Slytherin himself, the mark of a dark wizard," the other continued.

"The only person these days who's known for it,"

"Is You-Know Who!" they finished together.

Harry gaped in horror at the boys. "Oh M-Merlin," he said aloud, losing enough concentration to speak to all four of his friends. "And n-now everyone will be sure I am the Heir of S-Slytherin."

"Exactly," Hermione agreed. "And it's going to be next to impossible to prove one way or the other, Harry. Slytherin died a thousand years ago, and the Potter family tree doesn't go back that far, I've checked."

"What d-do I do?" Harry wondered, worried.

"Lay low, Harry," one of the twins said.

"In fact, let's stay here for awhile," agreed his double.

"Capital idea! We can keep working on our telepathy lessons."

Hermione growled. "You can't be serious. Harry's got enough on his plate right now. He doesn't need to worry about you two!"

Harry waved her off. "Thanks, Hermione, b-but that actually sounds good. T-teaching is.. well, it's s-something I'm actually all right at. It'll take my m-mind off this whole… m-mess."

Ron nodded. "If you're sure, mate. We can let all the other Gryffs know what happened and try to spread the word around the school."

Harry smiled gratefully.

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December 18

When Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick were both attacked the very next day, Harry's friends made sure he had an alibi and kept him sequestered in his dorm until most of the students had left on the Hogwarts Express. Harry gloomily doubted it would make much difference in the eyes of the other students. They had already decided his guilt, and nothing his friends said would change their minds. Could this year get any worse?

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 **A/N: Whew! Longest chapter so far by a long shot. As I have mentioned before, if I didn't show a scene from CoS, you can assume it happened in between my scenes. Obviously, the Dobby incidents (wall in King's Cross, rogue bludger) did not occur, since Dobby is leaving well enough alone.**

 **For the record, I am not a Dumbledore hater, and I'm not going to be bashing him in this story. However, it is canon that the headmaster is manipulative and plays chess with people's lives. I don't appreciate that. You should have picked up hints of how he is manipulating Harry in their conversation. He's not a** ** _nice_** **man, and that will come across in my story.**

 **In regards to the origins of the House-elves, yes, the elements I'm using are not MCU compliant.** **YET. I firmly believe the Fantastic Four will be folded into the MCU eventually, and the Negative Zone and its denizens are a big part of the FF's mythos.**

 **I also hope you're picking up the changes in Harry's personality from his summer lessons. Just as Kaecilius is more caring and gentle from his exposure to Harry, so Harry is a bit more stand-offish, and more prone to closing himself off from most people. This will affect his future, as well as how he views the Wizarding World by the time he finally defeats Voldemort (oops, spoiler alert).  
Harry is also starting to see how his telepathy isn't always a good solution. It can be a double-edged sword.**

 **I hope you're enjoying the story! Next chapter will take us through most if not all of second term. Not sure if I want to give the battle in the chamber and its aftermath its own chapter.**

 **As always, please review! Your responses are wonderful, and I love when you guess where I'm going with a plotline!**


	10. Chapter 10: Friends and Foes

**Disclaimer: I wrote this story. I didn't create the characters. JK Rowling and Marvel did that.**

 **Beta read by the awesome Nyx the Author. Thanks as always!**

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Chapter 10: Friends and Foes

December 25

Harry and Ron blundered down the hallway, still trying to get used to their new forms. They had taken the Polyjuice potion about a half an hour ago, so they were certainly less prone to crashing into furniture now, but the added weight and height of Crabbe and Goyle's bodies made their gaits very different.

Harry wished that Hermione had come with them as planned, but she had been elusive and refused to come out of the bathroom stall. She was always the planner of their trio, and he felt quite lost without her advice.

Finally, they saw someone coming toward them down the dark hallway, but unfortunately, it was Percy Weasley, giving them a suspicious look. "What are you two doing out? It's curfew soon," he asked.

Harry very nearly spoke to Percy telepathically out of habit, but got his mouth moving just in time. "We're g-going back to our d-dormitories," he said in as deep a voice as he could muster, feeling more self-conscious than ever about his stutter.

Thankfully, the elder Weasley didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "Well then, you'd best turn yourself around and actually go down the right hallway," he said, pointing down the passage they'd just left.

"Thanks," Ron said, echoing Crabbe's dull tones remarkably well.

Finally, they ran into Malfoy, who first berated them for wandering off, then led them back to a blank wall and opened it up with the password of 'pure-blood'. _Honestly_ , Harry thought quietly to Ron, _could they be more predictable?_

Ron snorted in amusement, which earned a reproving look from Malfoy. Ron hurriedly wiped his nose with his sleeve and said, "'Scuse me."

They took seats in the middle of the common room, which reminded Harry of an aquarium at the zoo. One wall was taken up by windows that were clearly showing an underwater perspective of the Black Lake next to the castle. Harry could have almost sworn he saw the Giant Squid drift by in the distance.

Once Malfoy was comfortably situated, he asked, "Didn't I see the older Weasley talking to you? Peter, or something?"

"Percy," Ron corrected immediately.

Malfoy gave him a scathing look. "Like it matters! What did the blood-traitor want with you two?"

Ron screwed up his face in anger, and Harry cut in, thinking fast. "Asked us ab-bout the Heir of S-Slytherin."

Malfoy laughed. "Like you two would know anything. If I don't know who it is, you two certainly would be clueless. As usual."

Harry's heart sank. Ron tried again, "But you must know something, Draco…"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You know I don't, I've told you a thousand ties. All I know is the Chamber was opened about 50 years ago, and last time one of the Mudbloods died. I wonder how long it'll take this time. Hope it's Granger."

Ron tensed and Harry whispered frantically, _Calm down,_ and could see Ron force himself to relax.

Harry was irritated now that they'd wasted so much time with this complicated potion and scheme, and asked Malfoy something he'd been wondering for all of first term. "D-Draco, why have we left P-Potter alone this year?"

Malfoy looked at him, amused. "I like the stutter, Goyle. You sound just like the little ninny. But as I keep telling you, my father has ordered me to back off him and make an attempt at being his 'friend' next year, once tensions have cooled. It'll be that much easier to stab him in the back if he thinks we're chums. Understood?"

Even without knowing that plan, Harry knew there was never any chance of him and Malfoy becoming friends. Slytherins' minds worked in strange ways. He nodded and glanced over at Ron. His eyes widened in horror at seeing his friends' hair slowly turning red again. Judging by Ron's similarly terrified face, the same thing was happening to Harry.

The boys bolted up from the couches and Ron grunted, "Ate too much. I think I'm gonna spew."

Malfoy looked horrified and made no move to follow as both Gryffindors ran to the common room entrance and took off down the hallway.

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January 5

 _Guys, why are we out here?_ Harry asked as he followed the twins down a dark hallway. It was far past curfew, and he was feeling anxious about running into Filch, or worse, Snape. They'd coaxed him out of bed somehow, and in his half-asleep stupor, he couldn't exactly remember what they'd promised him to accomplish it.

Fred's voice echoed in his head. _Patience, Harry! We're almost there, and we'll tell you everything._

The twins had perfected telepathy between themselves within a month of practice, but it had taken quite a while longer for their empathy to develop enough to reach anyone else. At this point, the only person they talked to this way was Harry. They didn't want anyone else to know when they could so easily use it for pranking.

They led him to the trophy room on the third floor. Once they'd checked to ensure the coast was clear, George said, _All right, Harry. Here's the plan. We really think the whole school needs a pick-me-up with all of this Heir of Slytherin nonsense scaring everyone._

Fred picked up his twin's train of thought. _Right. And one of the best ways to accomplish this is with the world's greatest medicine._

They looked expectantly at Harry, who sighed tiredly. _Laughter?_

They beamed at him, and George replied, _Precisely! So we're planning a school wide prank, and we want you in on it. We figure if it becomes known that you're helping bring smiles to Hogwarts, people will be less suspicious of you._

Harry felt a bit alarmed at the thought. _If we want people to know we're behind the prank, why are we sneaking around at night?_

Fred tapped his own nose with a knowing smirk. _We need to fine tune it a bit before we roll it out to the whole school, and this is where we'll do it. Now, be a dear and go into the supply closet two doors down. We need some of Madame Glossy's Silver Polish and a large tub of Winky Crockett's Elbow Grease for our base ingredients._

 _We'll start setting things up here,_ George said.

Grumbling to himself, Harry obeyed and walked down to the closet, shutting the door behind him. The last thing he needed was a prefect sneaking up on him.

It took some time to locate the cleaning supplies with just his wand light to guide him, but he finally opened the closet door again and checked to see if the coast was clear. Toward the end of the hallway, however, he saw someone staring out the window. Heart in his throat, he peered through the crack on the door, waiting for them to move on. After waiting for what felt like hours, they hadn't moved an inch.

 _Oh no,_ Harry thought. _Not again._

Quick as he could, he rushed down the hall to the figure and nearly screamed when he realized what he was seeing. It was Ron, and he had a look of complete terror frozen on his face.

Harry felt like he was going to throw up. Then realizing the danger he was in, he ran back down to the trophy room to warn the twins.

He burst into the room, and saw them bent over a piece of parchment, facing away from him and towards one of the trophy cases. _GUYS_ , he shouted to their minds. _We need to leave now! Ron's been petrif- guys?_

They hadn't moved an inch when he'd shouted. Full of dread, he kneeled down next to them and put a hand on Fred's own, but immediately pulled away in horror. It was like touching an ice sculpture. Harry could see the reflection of the twins' faces in the trophy case, and both boys just looked confused, like they couldn't believe their eyes.

Harry could barely think, but he looked down at the parchment they were holding, and it took a moment to understand what he was seeing. Finally, his terror filled brain processed the fact that he was looking at a moving map of Hogwarts, with dots placing every student and staff member. With a cry of relief, he saw the name 'Percy Weasley' walking slowly towards his location. Thank Merlin. If there was one person he'd want to find him right now, it was Percy. Grabbing the map and folding it quickly, he stuffed it in his pocket and rushed out to meet the prefect.

The eldest Weasley had hustled him off to bed immediately and gotten the order of events from Harry's panicked gibbering only after they were safe back in Gryffindor tower. Once he'd understood what Harry was telling him, he promised the boy that he'd keep any mention of Harry's involvement quiet, and hurried away to wake McGonagall.

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January 6

The Weasley twins had accidentally achieved one of their goals. While many students had suspected Harry of the attacks previously, absolutely no one thought he would attack the Weasleys. Several people came up to him in the Great Hall that morning to apologise for treating him badly in the months before. Harry wanted to be mad at them, to accept their apologies, to feel something. He just felt numb.

Neville quietly sat down across from Harry, his face pensive. "Harry," he said. "What happened?"

Haltingly, Harry explained what had gone on the night before, careful to only let his friends hear. These past few months, Neville had slowly been growing into a good friend, even if he was perpetually terrified. Harry knew the pudgy boy wouldn't share what he was told.

Once he'd finished the tale, Neville put up a shaky hand, as if asking a question in class. "But why was Ron there?" he asked. "I thought you just went with the twins."

Harry had been pondering that question all night, and had only come up with one possibility that made sense. _He must have heard us get up,_ he explained. _I guess he followed us out without us realizing, and the Heir caught him before he could join us._

Neville nodded sadly. "I'm here for you, Harry. Just let me know if there's anything I can do."

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Harry was walking through the second floor corridor, thoughts whirling in his head, when he stepped in a puddle. Confused, he looked around and noticed the sound of sobbing coming from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Well acquainted with the ghost from months of brewing Polyjuice potion, he went into the restroom to see what the problem was this time.

Pushing open the door, he called, "Myrtle?"

"Who's there?" she shrieked. "Come to throw something else at me?"

He waded through the water that covered the floor and asked, "It's m-me, Myrtle. Why would I throw s-something at you?"

She poked her head out of her stall and glared. "I don't know! Here I was, minding my own business, and somebody throws a book through my head! It washed out somewhere near the sinks."

She gave another heartbroken sob and plunged into a toilet, flooding more water onto Harry's trainers.

Curious, Harry sloshed over to the sinks and found a small black book with 'T.M. RIDDLE' embossed on the cover in gold lettering. He opened it and flipped through the pages, rather disappointed to find it completely blank. He almost set it down on the floor again, but then shrugged and put it in his bag. Why not use a perfectly good journal? Perhaps it would be a good way to order his thoughts and solve this mystery.

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That night, he had finished his homework and had gone up to bed. He and Hermione were devastated by what had happened the previous evening, but it was nothing compared to Percy and Ginny. They had practically lost three siblings in one night, and had spent most of the day consoling their heartbroken mother in the hospital wing. Ginny had especially looked strung out and exhausted in the common room, staring at her hands and struggling not to cry.

Harry sat on his bed and opened up the journal, determined to figure out some kind of logic behind the attacks. He picked up a quill and wrote, "Known Victims" at the top of the first page.

Before he could write more, however, the black ink he'd written in seemed to be sucked into the page, vanishing before his eyes. How strange. Perhaps it was a joke item from Zonko's, one that turned ink invisible? He dropped a spot of ink in the middle of the page, and it too disappeared after a moment.

Then to his astonishment, words in a different handwriting began to form on the page. It was an elegant handwriting that looked like each word was formed with care.

"Hello there. May I ask who is writing?"

Harry shrugged. A book that talked back was far from the strangest thing he'd encountered in the past year. He dipped his quill in the inkpot and scribbled, "My name is Harry Potter. Are you T.M. Riddle?"

The writing paused for a moment, then returned, "Tom Riddle, yes. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. How did you find this book?"

"Someone tried to throw it away in a bathroom."

"Indeed? What a shame. May I ask, what did you mean by 'Known Victims' a minute ago?"

Harry thought for a minute. Well, he'd meant to get his thoughts in order. Perhaps talking it through with an outside observer would help. "Well, it's like this, Tom…"

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The memory of Tom Riddle Jr. considered his next move as the Potter boy described Tom's handiwork back to him. While he was furious that little Ginny had enough resolve to actually throw HIM away, it had been a brilliant stroke of luck that the one who would pick him up was his target, Harry Potter! Everything Ginny had told him about the boy was fascinating. The Boy-Who-Lived who had defeated his future self by some stroke of luck and magic. A telepathic prodigy with a stutter, and a Parselmouth to boot! Brave, yet shy, intelligent yet foolhardy. Tom knew he'd have to tread carefully with how he approached this.

At first, he'd planned to earn the boy's trust by showing him the memory of framing Hagrid as the Heir of Slytherin. But a cursory taste of the boy's life essence made him hesitate. Ginny had tasted of innocence and impossible dreams. This child, however, tasted like… well, himself! Tom was well acquainted with his own magical signature, and Harry Potter was practically drenched in it. Tom needed to find out more. This would take a Slytherin's cunning.

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"...and that's the long and the short of it," Harry wrote, and shook his hand to remove the cramp he'd developed. Oddly enough, although his wrist was aching, he felt… better. Just telling someone who had no preconceived notions about him or the situation made him feel like a load had been lifted off his shoulders. He honestly felt like he could write for hours and not grow weary of it.

He smiled when he saw the book forming a response. "You've been so brave, Harry," Tom wrote. "You seem extraordinarily talented too, being able to speak Parseltongue so well. Are there any other gifts you possess?"

Harry considered for a moment what to write. Yes, Kaecilius wanted his ability to apparate to remain a secret, as well as the piece of Voldemort's thoughts that gave him the talent. But honestly, who would Tom tell?

"There was this incident last year," he began.

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February 12

"I'm just not sure, Tom," Harry wrote. "Kaecilius wanted to be with me whenever I try to get a memory out of the… thing."

Tom wanted to scream at the boy. He had spent hours over the past few weeks coaxing the boy to try entering his older self's memory piece. He just knew the key to the destruction of the old Voldemort was hidden in there somewhere, and he was determined to discover it. Further, he had a feeling that he could feed on Potter's soul more easily from within his mind. He'd been steadily taking power from Harry each time he wrote, but he was getting impatient. Tom decided to play his trump card.

"Harry," he wrote back. "Didn't you say that Dumbledore himself suggested you try it out? That you should attempt it if you're strong enough? I tell you now, you ARE strong enough. The lives of your friends might count on what you find out!"

Harry's writing was shaky. "You're right," he said. "How do I keep you with me in my mind?"

Tom pushed feelings of trust and safety into the young wizard's mind. "When you perform the spell like your mentor taught you, hold me in your dominant hand. Having me present in the motions should bring me in as well."

Tom felt his diary being waved about, then abruptly his consciousness was pushed down a long dark tunnel. He concentrated on his form as he rushed down the path, and succeeded in giving himself a benign and pleasant appearance as Harry's mental self saw him for the first time. To Harry's senses, he looked like a short and wrinkled old man with a kind smile on his face. Harry's face lit up with happiness at the sight of him.

 _Tom? Is that you?_ Harry asked.

 _That's right, Harry,_ Tom responded, giving himself a mental voice that matched his false appearance. _You've done wonderfully. Now let's see about finding a memory!_

As Tom drifted behind Harry through the cavernous space, he was delighted to find that the energy of the boy's soul and life force was all around him, and Tom gleefully took in as much as he could without Harry noticing. If the child was weaker when trying to navigate the labyrinth in Voldemort's thoughts, well, so much the better. Tom could feel himself grow more substantial, more real with each passing second. They reached their destination, and Tom forced himself to stop siphoning the energy so he could focus on his task.

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Harry was nervous about this trip, but seeing the confidence in Tom's face made him feel like he could do anything. Getting a firm hold on Tom's arm, he pushed into the crack.

The emotions were just as oppressive and ugly as his previous visit. They pushed and pulled at him, dredging up the worst feelings and memories inside him. The fear in his classmate's eyes, the anger he felt whenever someone sent a jinx at him, the confused faces of the twins. Finally, the frozen look of horror on Ron's face, still fresh from repeated nightmares, hit him like a sledgehammer, and in that shock to his psyche, he let go of Tom's arm. Now completely adrift, he was battered again and again by the emotions, each one forcing him down and down, as he screamed Tom's name helplessly.

It was completely by chance that Harry saw a memory flit by him, and he clawed out desperately, letting himself be pulled into it.

He was looking at a stone floor, with his head firmly secured in some round headrest. Harry could feel the rest of his body tied down to a long but comfortable platform. For a moment, he thought he might be at a massage parlor (and wasn't that a strange thought, Lord Voldemort himself getting a massage). Then he felt how much his back ached and stung, like a thousand biting ants had taken up residence in his shoulder blades. He only had a moment to wonder at his ability to feel pain in someone else's memory, before a fresh new bite manifested right behind his shoulder. In his mind, he cried out, but the memory of Voldemort didn't even flinch. The pain seemed to persist for hours, but finally it stopped and Harry just listened dully as he heard an old man's voice above him.

"There, all done, mister," the voice said. "You sure I can't use a numbing charm on them? They'll hurt real bad for an awful long time."

Voldemort slowly sat up and hissed out in annoyance, "For the last time, NO! Let me see them."

The old man had wrinkled brown skin, bright white hair, and wore a robe similar to Kaecilius'. He shrugged and reached over to a table. He picked up a mirror and handed it to Voldemort, then pointed his wand at a large mirror on the wall, shooting an orange spell at it. Instantly, the mirror in Voldemort's hand displayed a view of his own back, and Harry felt amazement at the bright red and black designs tattooed all over his shoulders and upper back.

At first, Harry couldn't make any sense out of the images spread across the skin. The designs on his shoulder blades were mirror images of each other, curved lines that were highly stylized. On top of his spinal column, he could see something that looked like a gushing waterfall, black vertical lines that spread out and curled away. But at the base of his neck, there was clearly the head of an eagle, mouth open in a piercing shriek. It was the head that helped his brain put the whole image together.

Voldemort had tattooed a giant bird across his back, but in the center of the design where the main body should be, there was simply a flattened x to serve as a bridge between each portion of the design.

"Very nicely done," he heard himself say. "Now the incantation, if you please. Be careful of your pronunciation. Mayan can be tricky."

The old man raised his eyebrows into his white hair, but nodded. He picked up his wand and a piece of parchment, and placed the tip of the wand over each individual tattoo, muttering words that Harry would have to listen to several times if he hoped to understand them. Only the last two were clear. "Quetzalcoatl" he said as he tapped the eagle head, and he pressed down hard on the flat x, saying, "hal," with a sense of finality. With this last word, Voldemort felt a sense of power that flowed through his body, and he grinned in triumph.

Harry concentrated and felt the symbols burn against his back, but to the boy's amazement, he began floating into the air. At first, he dipped and shuddered, as if he couldn't quite control it, but he quickly focused intensely on what he desired, and his levitation steadied. He loomed over the old man, who to his credit only grimaced in nervousness. "Well, ain't that a thing," the elderly fellow said. "Never seen someone manage that before."

Voldemort cackled. "I should think not. It's a process not seen in millennia."

The old man shrugged. "Good on you, then. And now, my payment."

Voldemort nodded. "Of course. You've earned it fairly."

Quick as a flash, he whipped out his wand and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" and the man slumped to the floor.

Harry was dumped out of the memory and back into the maelstrom of emotions. The reprieve the memory had given him, as short as it was, had given Harry time to think and plan. If he could create lights and repair the damage to his mind using only willpower, then shouldn't he be able to perform magic? As he was pushed and shoved by the vicious emotions, Harry focused his mind on the outside of Voldemort's thoughts, back in the safety of his own mind. With a forceful twist, he apparated out and found himself right where he'd imagined, staring at the crack in Voldemort's remnant that he and Kaecilius had created all those months ago.

He felt a brief moment of worry when he remembered that Tom was still trapped in there, but a flash of movement nearby alerted him to his helper's presence.

 _Thank goodness!_ Harry said to his friend, who looked shocked to see Harry. The shock on his face then morphed to anger.

 _How did you escape?_ Tom growled. _You should have been stuck in there forever!_

Harry felt hurt, but remembered the argument he and Kaecilius had after the last visit to Voldemort's remnant. _Focus, Tom,_ he said calmly. _This isn't you. I'm your friend, remember?_

Tom's face spasmed, but then regained the calm smile Harry was more accustomed to. _Thank you, Harry,_ the old man said. _Let's get out of here, yes?_

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Tom wished he could destroy the little brat, but was glad his momentary blunder had been covered by his older self's mental defenses. He had felt so angered by Potter's continued survival that he hadn't watched his words as he normally would.

At least he'd accomplished his goals. He'd viewed a rudimentary memory of his Halloween 1981 defeat, and could see just what the old Voldemort had overlooked. The mother had created a protection spell based on love and sacrifice, and his older self had completely fallen for it. There was nothing special about Harry Potter.

Now he felt safe in draining the boy dry, and with the boost he'd gotten from this trip, he could probably accomplish that in the next month. Less, if he could convince the child to bring Tom's consciousness into his mind again. His triumph was practically assured.

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February 14

Harry looked around at the devastation of his dorm room in disbelief. Someone had torn the place apart, focusing on his area specifically. His bedsheets had been ripped apart, his trunk was on its side with its contents strewn about, and even Hedwig's cage had been tossed across the room. Nothing was untouched.

He sighed and began putting everything to rights, with Neville and Hermione, now completely free of cat fur, helping him.

It wasn't for several minutes that he realized what was missing. Tom's book, usually tucked under his pillow, was nowhere to be found.

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May 8

Harry looked around himself in despair. The hospital wing had probably never been so full. The Weasley twins and Ron were in one corner, each in their own bed. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Colin Creevey were nearby. Mrs. Norris and Nearly Headless Nick had their own spot in another corner, as Madam Pomfrey had probably never been forced to deal with animal and spectral patients before. Lastly, the prefect Penelope Clearwater was in a bed next to the frozen form of Hermione Granger, one of his last remaining best friends.

Harry had never felt so helpless or so tired. Both feelings had been dogging him for months, with the boy needing to go up to his dorm nearly every day between classes just to rest his eyes. Staying awake in classes was now a regular chore, with nearly every professor commenting on it, or in Snape's case, taking points away because of it. The only teachers who hadn't noticed were Binns, who hadn't noticed anything for years, and Lockhart, who would only notice a charging rhino if it was also asking for his autograph.

Harry yawned, but then shook his head determinedly to get rid of his fatigue. In the month that he had been trying to figure out this mystery with Tom's assistance, they had only come up with one lead. The Heir of Slytherin must be controlling some kind of beast. If anyone at this school knew about beasts, it would be Hagrid. And as Harry had recalled, Hagrid had been expelled for some unknown reason when he was in third year.

The lack of attacks for the past few months had kept Harry from just going up to his large friend and questioning him point blank. Now, though, he couldn't afford to wait any longer. He went to get Neville. They were going out to Hagrid's hut, regardless of the curfew.

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May 24

"Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?" Neville moaned as the giant arachnids descended from the treetops above him and Harry.

They'd followed Hagrid's cryptic advice the night of the man's arrest, and now it seemed they were paying the price.

"Incendio!" Harry cried, his weak flame giving burns to the closest acromantula, but not doing much else. "C-come on, Neville! Help m-me out!"

Neville joined in with the flame spell, but even with their combined effort, the spiders were closing in.

Harry nearly gave in right there. He was just so tired, so weary of fighting. But then he got an idea, and grabbed Neville's arm. _Neville, run! This way!_ he said, pointing at a gap between the spiders.

Both boys took off, running as fast as they could. "H-harry!" Neville gasped, "The castle is the other way! We- hunh- we're going the wrong way!"

 _Trust me, Neville!_ Harry yelled back, throwing back Tripping Jinxes at their 8-legged pursuers.

Deeper into the forest they ran until Harry knew he would either stop at that moment or pass out. He grabbed Neville and pulled him into a bear hug, focusing on the gates of Hogwarts and spinning both boys around in a tight circle.

With a pop and a squeezing sensation that was worse than any of Harry's previous apparitions, they appeared on the outside of the school gates facing the huge stone boars that welcomed in visitors. Both boys collapsed to the ground and just tried to fill their burning lungs for a few minutes.

When he'd gotten enough oxygen to complete a sentence, Neville asked, "Since when can you apparate, Harry?"

Harry grinned wryly. _Since this summer, but don't tell anyone, yeah?_

"Of course, Harry. But why did we run away from the school just now?"

 _Wards, Nev,_ Harry replied. _Hogwarts has anti-apparition wards all over it, and a ways into the forest as well. I knew we had to get far enough away that we'd be outside them. Once we'd gone that distance, we could pop away easily._

Neville cocked his head. "How did you know we were far enough?"

Harry chuckled. _I didn't. I just couldn't run any farther, and you looked done in too._

Neville's eyes looked ready to pop from his head. "So if you'd guessed wrong?!"

 _Then we'd be dead, and it wouldn't matter,_ Harry said with a bright smile.

They both burst out laughing, well aware that there wasn't anything funny, but just so relieved to be alive that they couldn't help it.

After a few moments, they turned and looked at the extremely tall gates. Harry wondered, _Neville, how good are you at climbing?_

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May 29

Harry was in his best mood in weeks. Professor Sprout had announced that the mandrakes we're ready for harvesting. Within the next few days, all of the petrification victims would be awoken, and they would hopefully identify the culprit. He and Neville had snuck away from Lockhart as he guided their class down the hallway, and were visiting their frozen friends in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey, usually insistent that no one enter her domain without teacher permission, had let them in with a soft smile.

Harry was telling Hermione the good news when he noticed that her hand was tightly clenched around a piece of paper.

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The boys ran at top speed in the direction of the staff lounge to tell a teacher what Hermione had discovered, but as they passed the second floor, they skidded to a stop and stared at the wall in horror. Next to the original message from the Heir, there were new words written in red: "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever."

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 **A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger. I'm going to need a bit of time to do the battle justice. This will be nothing like the battle in CoS.**

 **I felt bad about petrifying Ron, but I needed a) Neville to get closer to Harry and b) Harry to interact with Tom freely without being warned of the potential dangers that a book might hold. This accomplished both goals quite neatly.**

 **Finally, don't be thrown off by how large the time skips were in this chapter. In researching on the HP Lexicon, these really were the dates for the attacks in the original book. Sounds strange, I know, but I was trying to stay mostly true to canon in this respect. After Tom got his hooks back into Ginny, it probably took awhile to force her to attack someone again. In this story, she'd especially be resistant to it since she attacked her own siblings!**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Please review! As always, I love reading your thoughts.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Chamber of Secrets

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP or Marvel. Anyone who thinks otherwise can go have a staring contest with a basilisk.**

 **A/N: Beta read by the insightful Nyx the Author! Thanks a lot!**

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Chapter 11: The Chamber of Secrets

May 29

Harry and Neville took off again for the teacher's lounge, this time with a feeling of panic in their hearts. They had nearly reached it when Harry ran headlong into someone, knocking them both to the floor. Harry looked up to see a very disheveled Professor Lockhart glaring at him. After a quick moment, the man seemed to realize who it was that had collided with him, and his expression changed to a bright smile. "Harry!" he exclaimed. "And young mister… um… Longbutton, was it?"

Before Harry could stop him, Neville blurted, "Longbottom, sir, and we need your help! We know what the creature is, and how it's been getting around, and Harry thinks he knows where the entrance is!"

Harry could have smacked his friend. Of all the teachers Neville could have said this to, Lockhart was his very last choice. The professor's grin widened, and now it had a slightly sinister tilt. "What an incredible coincidence!" he said. "I have been charged by the staff to rid the school of the creature, and I had been hoping for a wee bit of assistance in finding its den. Well then, lead on, boys!"

Harry sighed, but did as ordered. At least Lockhart seemed excited about the opportunity to slay the basilisk. Maybe he really was a great monster killer like he claimed in his books. Harry quickly led them to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"M-Myrtle?" he called. "You in?"

The ghost in questions popped out of one of the stalls, a happy smile uncharacteristically plastered across her face. "Harry!" she squealed. "I've missed you! Why don't you come visit me any more?"

"Erm… really b-busy, Myrtle. But I'll t-try to come m-more often. I have a q-question right now."

She drifted uncomfortably close to Harry, looking pleased. "Oh yes? Ask away, then."

Harry wasn't sure how well this would go over, but he bit out, "How did you d-die, Myrtle?"

If anything, she became even more pleased at the question. She spun in a tight loop and rose to the ceiling, sighing happily. "Oh, it was dreadful, Harry. Just the most terrible thing. You see, I was hiding in here because that wretched Olive Hornby had been teasing me about my glasses. Beastly girl, and she died of dragon pox years ago, so the jokes on her, I suppose. Anyway, the door was locked, but someone came in and started talking funny. A different language, maybe. But more importantly, it was a boy's voice! So, of course, I opened the stall door to tell him to leave, and then… I died!"

Her face was practically glowing as she said that last bit, and she started humming contentedly to herself. Neville and Harry exchanged confused looks.  
"But how did you die?" Neville asked.  
She gave him an uninterested glance. "No idea. All I remember was seeing a great big pair of yellow eyes somewhere over there," she motioned toward the row of sinks. "And then my whole body seized up, and I floated away."

She then did just that, and vanished through the ceiling. Harry shrugged and headed over to the sinks, inspecting each one. After a few minutes, he heard Neville call his name, and he walked to the sink his friend was pointing at. "There's a picture of a snake on this one, Harry."

Harry looked and indeed saw the design etched into the metal of the tap. He leaned over and tried to imagine it was a real snake. He thought he could almost see it move in the flickering candlelight. " _Open_ _,_ " he hissed, and felt a great surge of relief when the whole fixture rippled and seemed to melt, forming a slide that vanished into the gloom before his eyes. Harry looked at Lockhart, trying to see what the professor thought, but the man only nodded eagerly and made a shooing motion toward the entrance. "I think it's only right that our resident parselmouth lead the way, my boy," he insisted.

Harry shook his head resignedly and obliged, jumping into the pipe and whooshing away.

Harry imagined this must be what it felt like to be swallowed by a giant. The tube was not very large and extremely slimy all the way down, so that it was a relief to finally be spat out at the bottom. In moments, Neville and Lockhart had joined him, and they cautiously set out.

"R-remember," Harry warned. "It's a basilisk, s-so if you see any movement, c-close your eyes straight off."

"A WHAT?!" Lockhart shouted, entirely too loudly for Harry's tastes. "You never said it was a basilisk! Why aren't all its victims dead?!"

Neville impatiently replied, "They only saw reflections, sir. If we see it head on, we die."

Lockhart stopped. "All right, knowing this information changes everything. We need to have a plan."

The boys turned and faced him expectantly, wands ready for the upcoming battle. "All r-right," Harry said. "What's your plan?"

Lockhart smiled. "Well, it starts with- EXPELLIARMUS!" he shouted, disarming both boys in a moment. They stared in shock as he snatched their wands from the ground in front of him and began backing slowly away back towards the pipe.

"Professor, what are you doing?" Neville asked desperately.

"I'm sorry boys, but I certainly didn't sign up for any basilisks. I'm afraid our adventure ends now. You with your minds tragically lost at the sight of the horrors in the Chamber of Secrets, and me sadly too late to rescue you, but still admired for my efforts."

"Why won't you help us?" Neville cried. "You beat all those other monsters! What's so different about a basilisk?"

Lockhart chuckled. "Oh please, you don't actually think I did all those things, do you? No, I merely found the people who really did them before word had gotten out, then made everyone believe it was me! No one wants to read about an ugly warlock who slayed a werewolf, or that witch who beat the Bandon Banshee! She had hair on her chin, honestly!"

"And how d-did you make them b-believe that?" Harry asked with dread.

"Because," Lockhart said with a winning smile. "I really only do a few spells well, and my best, without a doubt, is the memory charm. I step in, and POOF! Everyone believes I did the heroic acts. I think, though, that you two will need an extra strong Obliviate to really wipe every memory away, not just the recent past. Yes, say goodbye to your memories! OBLI-"

He froze. His eyes glazed over, and slowly, ever so slowly, his body sunk to the ground, dropping the wands as he fell. Harry and Neville, who had both been tensed to jump out of the way of his spell, stared in stupefaction for a moment, sure he was playing some trick to make them let down their guards. After a moment, when he lay there completely still, Neville took a hesitant step forward and kicked at Lockhart's leg. Nothing. He knelt down and felt the man's wrist.

He looked up in horror at Harry. "He's dead."

Despite knowing better, both boys spun to look down the passageway, but there was only darkness now. They could hear a soft rustling noise, like scales sliding on the ground, and a hissing voice called out, " _Come and get me, Harry Potter. No one gets to defeat you but me! "_

Harry turned to look at Neville, who squeaked, "What did they say?"

Harry shook his head, a plan slowly resolving in his mind. _Neville, I need you to go get help. From an actual teacher this time, not this ponce_.

He gave another half-hearted kick at Lockhart's body, then picked up his wand and pointed it at his friend. "G-Gravitas Penna," he carefully intoned, and watched in satisfaction as Neville almost seemed to lift from the air, bobbing gently on his toes.

 _There,_ Harry said. _The Feather-Light Charm will make it easier to climb up the pipe. Tell them… tell them it's me the Heir wants. Bring help if you can._

He made to turn away, but Neville grabbed his arm. "Don't be a Gryffindor here, Harry," he warned. "Please."

Harry tried to give him a grin to reassure him, but his stomach turning flip-flops ruined the effect somewhat. _Don't worry. I plan to cheat like a Slytherin._

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Once Neville was completely up the pipe and out of sight, Harry slowly began walking down the passage, looking for a dark alcove. He had only walked for a minute before he saw a huge coiled shape ahead of him. His heart jumped into his throat, and he crept forward, lighting his wand ahead of himself. The light slid over a giant shed snake skin that took up nearly the entire corridor, leaving just a small gap to squeeze through on the side. Perfect.

Harry took a deep breath and seriously considered what he was about to do. Kaecilius' instructions had been clear. Talk to a teacher first, as one of their main jobs was to help their students. He scoffed when he thought about what Lockhart had very nearly done to him and Neville. Yes, very helpful.

But as Kaecilius had said, when all other avenues were exhausted, it was time to contact the man himself. Harry braced himself for a tongue lashing, reached up to his hidden earring, and squeezed hard.

He waited, sure his teacher would materialize immediately. For one long minute, he only stood there in the silence, every muscle tense. Finally, after he was about to give up on it, a whirling circle of orange sparks appeared in front of him and Kaecilius leapt through, body poised for battle.

When his teacher took in their dark and silent surroundings, he turned to Harry and gave him a questioning look.

Harry shook his head. _We don't have time for me to explain, and I know you're going to want to yell at me afterward. Let me show you what you need to know._

Kaecilius gave a slow nod, looking uncertain, and performed the motions to pull both Harry and himself into the boy's mind. Harry hurriedly found as many relevant memories from the past year and _pushed_ them close to Kaecilius, who took each one in turn and touched them. His teacher's expression grew more and more stormy with each one he viewed. By the time he finished, he looked quite ready to strangle his student. _Explain to me, please,_ he said, speaking slowly and very calmly, _why I shouldn't truss you up right now and hide you out of the way while I destroy this… monster and the man who commands it._

 _Because he wants me,_ Harry pleaded. _Don't you get it? If you, some stranger, show up all alone, he's liable to just kill whoever was taken into the chamber as bait, or call out the basilisk and kill you instantly rather try to fight you fairly. Either way, he wants to face me. If he doesn't see you, he'll underestimate me and give you the opportunity to come up with a surprise attack!_

Kaecilius frowned deeply, but eventually nodded. _Sound logic. Doesn't mean I have to like it. And we_ _ **will**_ _be having a long and probably loud conversation concerning some of your choices recently._

Harry winced, but agreed. Kaecilius pulled them both into the real world again and said, _Very well. Lead the way, and I will be behind you in the shadows. BE. CAREFUL._

Harry stood tall, gulped, and led him past the giant snake skin.

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They came to a solid wall a few minutes of walking, and carved into it were two entwined serpents with giant emerald eyes that glittered at Harry menacingly. He cleared his throat as Kaecilius drew off to a corner where he wouldn't be seen right away. " _Open_ ," Harry hissed, and the wall split apart to form an entrance into a large and badly lit chamber. Tall stone pillars lined the walls, each one decorated with moss-covered serpentine shapes. As Harry slowly entered the room, he could see the coiled shape of the basilisk at the far end of the space, and this was no shed skin. He could see the snake gently breathing, its scales rising and falling in time to its breath. So far, it seemed to be facing the opposite wall, which had a gigantic statue of an old man carved into it, but Harry was taking no chances. He kept walking forward, but kept his eyes nearly shut, ready to close at the first sign of movement.

As he neared the reptile, he heard laughter echoing around the stone walls of the room, a high-pitched sound that set his nerves even more on edge. Then a voice, a young yet cultured voice, called out from the dim recesses of the chamber. "You do look silly, Harry Potter, blundering about with your eyes shut. No need to fear. My dear pet has been given orders not to harm you. Not yet, anyway."

As Harry opened his eyes a bit more, he could identify the source of the voice. Near the feet of the statue behind the basilisk, a boy only a few years older than Harry stood, grinning widely. He was twirling a wand in his hand, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Who are you?" Harry asked guardedly.

"The Heir of Slytherin, of course," the boy replied, never losing his large smile.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know w-what I mean. You obviously alr-ready know me. Who are you and what do you want?"

"Oh, but everyone knows the famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived! Perhaps I just wanted to meet such a great celebrity."

Harry shook his head. He was close enough now to take in the features of the Heir. He looked like a fifth or sixth year, with straight black hair and a handsome face. He wore green-trimmed Hogwarts robes, but Harry was quite sure he had never seen the boy before. He could also see the boy's skin seemed to have a faint glow to it, almost like he was lit from within.

"I don't think it has anything to d-do with being a celebrity," Harry answered. "You just m-murdered one of the most famous people in wizarding Britain in cold blood."

The boy sneered slightly before resuming his grin. "That old charlatan was nothing, and he was standing in the way of my rightful quarry. You're not much use to me brain-dead."

Harry didn't much like the sound of that. "And why am I of use t-to you?"

The boy clapped his hands with a sarcastic smile. "Finally, one of the right questions. You're of use to me because of all the good times we had together, even if they ended too soon."

"I've never even m-met you," Harry insisted.

"How hurtful," the boy replied. "Fine, I'll give you a clue. I know just how your mind works."

Harry waited for a moment, then said, "Are you g-going to give me a clue or not?"

The boy sighed melodramatically. "Children these days, honestly. That was the clue, Harry. I know how your mind works. I've seen it in action, after all."

Seen it in action? Harry thought for a minute. That made it sound like this boy had been _inside_ his mind, but the only people who had done that were Kaecilius and…

"Tom Riddle?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

The boy gave a bow. "None other."

"B-But you're not a real person, I thought. And you looked like an old man!"

"Please, I know your teacher, Kae-silly-ass, was it? I know you told me he turned into a purple giraffe while you were in his mind. Remember, the only limit…"

"Is your imagination," Harry finished. He felt horrified that he'd been so easily duped by someone so evil, but he felt even worse because he hadn't shown Kaecilius the memory of taking Tom into his mind. He hadn't thought it was relevant, and he knew his teacher wouldn't be happy if he'd known. Merlin, even if Harry survived this, Kaecilius was definitely going to kill him for that. He quickly tried to think of some way to communicate those events to wherever Kaecilius was hiding, but he was starting to feel the exhaustion he'd been dealing with for months.

"All right," Harry sighed, trying to understand everything he was hearing. "What do all of our c-conversations have to do with the attacks you made?"

"Well, Harry," Tom replied. "You are hardly the only person I've had conversations with this year. Didn't you wonder who threw my book away? Didn't you wonder who tore your room apart to get it back? And most importantly, didn't you want to know WHOSE skeleton will lie in the chamber forever?"

Riddle hissed briefly, " _show him "_, and Harry saw the basilisk raise one coil into the air. Through the gap between, Harry saw a small figure laying on the ground. Spread eagle upon an intricate chalk-drawn symbol, Ginny Weasley's red hair fanned out across the stone, and he could see Tom's book clasped in her hands.

Harry took a step towards her, and the basilisk closed the gap between its coils, cutting her off from view.

"No no," Tom chuckled. "You may look, but you mustn't touch."

Harry rounded on Tom. "So G-Ginny had you first, and now you've kidnapped her?"

Tom chuckled turned into a full-throated laugh, and it sent a chill down Harry's spine. "Not at all," Tom answered. "Ginny found me in her cauldron after one of my future followers placed me there before school even began. And when she wrote to me all her hopes and dreams and thoughts, I just took it all in for myself. Haven't you heard the phrase, 'poured out my soul'? Little Ginny did just that, and I've only been accepting her willing gift. And when she had emptied herself enough, I put a bit of my soul in her."

Harry's face must have shown the horror he was feeling, as Tom's grin had been changing more and more to an animalistic grimace as he spoke. Finally, Harry choked out, "What did you do?"

The grimace had turned into an ugly glower as Tom continued to brag. "I took over Ginny's mind and made her unknowingly do my will. Using her body, I opened the chamber and have been purging the school of the unworthy all year. So really, it's all thanks to Ginny that we're both here today."

Tom's expression brightened suddenly. "Well, I think that's enough stalling, don't you?"

Harry's shock must have shown, and Tom chuckled genially. "Oh please, you're transparent, Harry. You've sent Neville up the pipe for reinforcements, and have been trying to stall for time, right? A clever plan, but a pointless one. You see, as soon as anyone exits the pipe in that bathroom, it automatically closes. And as we both know, only a parselmouth can open it, and the only two in the school are right here. No one is coming to save you."

Harry tried to look panicked and hide his relief. Ton didn't know about Kaecilius, so he still had that very considerable ace up his sleeve. "All right, I'm t-trapped here," Harry agreed. "Now what do you want?"

"You," Tom said simply. "I told you, I drained Ginny's soul every time she wrote. She's very close to death now, and I've been holding myself off from the final pull for awhile now. If I so chose, I could kill her. Right. Now. Your little stalling routine works both ways."

Riddle raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "But that would be too easy. And there's someone else whose soul I found to be so… delicious, someone who took me into their mind and offered up the energy from their soul quite willingly. Can you guess?"

Harry's heart was in his throat. "Me."

"Yes indeed," Tom agreed. "That day you welcomed me into your most inner sanctum, you gave me an all-you-can-eat buffet for a soul that was already touched by, well, myself. It was primed and almost eager to be devoured, and so I did. But I want all of it."

"Hang on," Harry interjected, grasping onto anything that could distract him from the horrible choice he'd made. "What do you mean, touched by yourself?"

Tom took his wand and began tracing his wand through the air, leaving fiery letters floating in its wake.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He smirked at Harry, and waved the wand, making the letters dance and change positions, until they had formed new words.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Our destinies seem to be intertwined, Harry," Tom said. "You defeated my future self. Now I'd like to return the favor."

Harry felt he could barely stand, his legs were shaking so badly from horror and exhaustion. He raised his wand, not sure what spell he could use to attack, but sure he couldn't let this monster win. Tom only shook his head.

"I really wouldn't," Tom admonished. "As I said, little Ginny is very nearly drained. If you make me expend any more magical energy, that will almost certainly deplete what she has left. Haven't the poor Weasleys suffered enough?

Harry lowered his wand, feeling defeated. "What do you want from me?"

Tom hissed again, and the basilisk unwound from around Ginny's form, slithering over to a corner of the room. "I want to make a deal," Tom said confidently. "I will let Ginny live, and even promise to send her back up the pipe. In return, I get the rest of your delicious soul. Take her place in the spell, and the only person who dies is you. Refuse me and she dies, and then I kill you anyway."

Harry thought desperately to Kaecilius, focusing on the man's mind exclusively, _What do I do?_

From somewhere in the darkened corner of the room, the answer came back. _Go along with it and get on top of the chalk, but be ready to jump out again. It's going to get very chaotic very quickly._

Trying to disguise his satisfaction, Harry nodded in a downtrodden way and walked over to where Ginny lay. He carefully waved his wand and levitated her out of the design, then picked up Tom's book and took her spot. Every muscle was poised to jump out as his mentor had instructed him.

Perhaps Tom noticed, for before Kaecilius could do anything, Tom jabbed his wand at Harry and a steel cage, barely big enough to fit the boy, appeared over top of him, securely fastened to the ground.

Tom gave a satisfied grin. "Wouldn't want you getting cold feet, would we?"

Then Tom's expression changed, his smirk falling into a confused frown. After a moment, Harry could understand why. The ground was shaking, rumbling, and the reason soon became clear.

From the far end of the chamber, a huge shape was lumbering towards them at a high speed, taking steps with four feet the size of tree trunks. Once it had gotten closer, it became clear that there was, strange as it seemed, an elephant charging at them.

Tom gaped only for a second, then hissed angrily, " _Kill it!_"

The basilisk exploded into action, darting out and hissing at the gray titan. Immediately, it seemed the elephant met eyes with the snake, as it fell over dead.

"Kaecilius!" Tom shouted, sounding delighted. "Is that you? Was that really the best you can do?"

Instead of an answer, the chamber floor vibrated even harder, and Harry could just make out a huge orange portal on the furthest wall as a stampede of elephants, giraffes, water buffalo, and even a lion burst forth, heading directly at the basilisk.

Tom didn't bother with any more commands, as both he and the basilisk began a killing spree, determinedly taking down each animal with a combination of the killing stare and a bright green spell that seemed to accomplish the same thing. The charging beasts seemed to just keep coming, but Tom and the basilisk were so efficient that nothing came within a few feet of them before it would tumble to a halt.

Both were so preoccupied with their tasks, however, that they missed what happened next. Harry, who happened to be looking in the right spot by chance, saw a very small portal open up above the basilisk's head. Out of the portal came a little bundle of feathers, blue and orange and red, that slowly descended and landed on the giant snake's snout.

The basilisk stopped what it was doing and cocked its head, confused by the bird that rested contentedly on its nose.

Then the rooster began to crow, a loud and triumphant call to welcome a new day. The basilisk thrashed in agony, forcing the rooster to fly off as it continued its crowing.

"NO!" Tom screamed in anger, still occupied with the rampaging animals and unable to do a thing as his enslaved pet succumbed to death, its thrashing and hissing quieting down as it slumped to the floor, giving one last rumbling sigh before lying still.

Tom shot off one final green curse as the last water buffalo screeched to a halt and collapsed onto the stone, and then the boy spun around in a circle, searching the room for his prey. "Kaecilius!" he screamed. "Coward! Letting beasts do your dirty work. Come out and face me like the pathetic muggle you are!"

Harry heard his teacher whisper instructions into his mind and mentally prepared himself for action, struggling to ignore the steady drain on his magic he was feeling.

Both Harry and Tom saw Kaecilius step into view, calmly walking across the long chamber. Each time he passed the corpse of an animal, he would open a portal in the floor and it would fall through, leaving the stone empty again.

Tom furiously shot the green spell at the man, but Kaecilius didn't pause his steps in the least, simply opening up a portal in front of himself and allowing the spell to fly through. He closed the portal and continued with his grisly task, not saying a word.

Tom was screaming wordlessly now, shooting spells of every color at the man, who almost carelessly allowed his portals to intercept each one.

Only once every dead animal besides the basilisk had been disposed of did Kaecilius stop and face Tom, waiting. Tom's chest was heaving with rage, and he spat out, "You've changed nothing. I still win."

Kaecilius raised a single eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes," Tom growled, his eyes locked on Kaecilius. "I've taken nearly all of Ginny Weasley's life force, and now I'm draining your foolish little apprentice dry. You could make a portal for him, I suppose, but then he'd lose that precious protection that he built up all summer, wouldn't he? Decisions, decisions," he finished, his face forming a rictus grin in triumph.

Kaecilius merely shook his head. "You've forgotten something."

"What's that?"

"This chamber is very far under the school, and quite a ways away besides once you've walked down that corridor. Anti-apparition wards can't extend that far. And my student is very good at escaping."

Tom spun around in disbelief in time to see Harry, who had apparated out of the cage as they talked, grab the unconscious form of Ginny Weasley and disappear with a crack. Tom turned back and glared at Kaecilius hatefully. "It doesn't matter," he insisted. "I've taken enough energy from both of them to exist in the real world now. I'll be able to go out, find my older self and return him to power, draining more wizards along the way until I'm completely restored."

Kaecilius nodded. "You could do that, yes," he said. "But you've forgotten two more things. Honestly, for a nascent dark lord, you're quite absent minded. First, you forgot that basilisk venom is extremely acidic, able to destroy nearly anything."

"So?" Tom nearly shouted.

"And secondly," Kaecilius continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "You forgot that you made Harry take your book. Harry? Now, please."

Harry, feeling quite weak but full of determination, popped out of his hiding spot behind the basilisk's head. He grasped the book by its edges and thrust it downwards onto one of the snake's protruding fangs.

A horrified scream filled the chamber as the book began to spurt ink of every color in a torrent, and the form of Tom Riddle began to twist and shudder in agony, his skin becoming more shiny and translucent. With one last moan, Tom faded and vanished completely.

Harry gave a gasp as he felt his own energy filling him up again, feeling truly alive and awake for the first time since before Valentine's day, and he heard Ginny behind him take a huge gulp of air as well. He turned around to see her take one look at the huge corpse of the basilisk only inches from her nose. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she fainted again.

Harry couldn't really blame her. Despite the energy that suffused him now, he could use a nap. But he got up and cautiously walked over to Kaecilius, who was inspecting the chalk design on the floor. _You saved us, sir,_ Harry said. _Thank you._

The man turned a gimlet eye to Harry. "It wouldn't have been necessary to save you if you'd made better choices. And what is this I heard about you taking this madman into your mind?"

Harry winced and gave a brief explanation. Kaecilius shook his head once he'd finished. "We'll deal with that later. Come, grab the book and I'll carry the girl. Let's leave this foul place."

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Harry was in a haze as they escaped the subterranean tunnel. He barely noticed Kaecilius creating a portal and transporting an unconscious Ginny and Lockhart's body up to the hospital wing, and the man had to grab Harry's chin to get the boy's attention. "You're in shock," he said. "And in any other circumstances, you'd be going straight to the hospital wing too. But for now, you still have a role to play.

You must go to Dumbledore's office and tell them what happened, but you will leave me out of your tale. Say you managed to smuggle this rooster into the chamber."

He pointed behind Harry and he saw the bird had followed them down the corridor. It gave them an inquisitive cluck and scratched at the floor before going still again.

Kaecilius continued, "Once everyone but Dumbledore has left, I will be joining you both. We have much to talk about."

Once Harry had given a weak nod, Kaecilius waved his hands and formed an orange rotating shield that settled to the ground. At the man's prompting, Harry picked up the rooster and stepped onto it. The shield rose slowly into the air and began to float up the pipe, and Kaecilius vanished from his view.

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Harry's voice was hoarse by the time he finished his heavily edited tale. The Weasleys, McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore had listened with rapt attention, and once he was done, Mrs. Weasley had rushed over and given him the tightest hug he'd ever received. After a few platitudes, Dumbledore suggested that the other professors escort the Weasleys to their children in the hospital wing. After they'd all been ushered out, the headmaster sat down at his desk and eyed Harry, was sitting uncomfortably in one of the visitor's chairs.

He opened his mouth to speak, but just then the office door burst open, and in strode Lucius Malfoy with a furious glare. Harry had to rub his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him, but scuttling about at the man's feet was a cringing Dobby, who was apparently trying to polish his master's shoes.

Harry hadn't had much time to do more research for Dobby's plight as the school year got worse and worse, but what he'd found hadn't been promising. He'd all but given up when Ron had mentioned that Harry didn't even know who Dobby belonged to, so freeing him was impossible. As he listened to Mr. Malfoy shout at Dumbledore, however, Harry recalled what Tom Riddle had said down in the chamber.

An idea germinated in Harry's mind, and he waited for the perfect moment to insert himself in the adult's conversation.

Dumbledore was holding up the book and said, "It's fortunate that Harry here was able to destroy the spirit that resided in this diary, or else Miss Weasley would have taken the blame for the crimes it committed. Don't you agree, Lucius?"

Mr. Malfoy nodded stiffly, and Harry took his chance. "Do you want to know what he s-said down there, sir?"

The man narrowed his eyes and jerked his head. "Get on with it, then."

"He s-said that one of Voldemort's f-followers planted the book in Ginny's cauldron the day she went shopping."

Mr. Malfoy's face went a little more pale, but he spit out, "What of it?"

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry replied. "We both know you p-put that book in Ginny's cauldron at Flourish and Blotts. And I've g-got the memory of the Heir of Slytherin confirming it in my head."

"Memories can be faked."

Harry laughed. "Oh yes," he said with amusement. "Argue in c-court that a t-twelve year old faked a memory. Th-that should go over very well."

Mr. Malfoy snarled. "What do you want?"

Harry was quite pleased the man had backed down so quickly. "Two things. One: you will help c-cover up Professor Lockhart's death. You will keep the p-press away from the story at all costs. Ginny will not be b-blamed."

Malfoy curled his lip, but nodded. "And the other thing?" he asked impatiently.

Harry pointed a steady finger down at Dobby. "You will set your elf free."

The man cast a confused glare down at his servant. "This thing? Why?"

Harry shrugged, trying not to look like he cared. "I don't like to see others mistreated. And it will make you uncomfortable, which is nice."

Mr. Malfoy growled low in his throat. "Fine."

He grabbed a glove from his pocket and tossed it negligently to Dobby. "There, elf. You are free."

Dobby looked like he was going to pass out from happiness, but he settled for a weak nod and he scuttled over to Harry's leg and hugged it.

Malfoy sneered again at Dobby's behavior, then looked up at Harry. "I have your word that you will not use that memory against me?"

Harry nodded. "As long as Ginny's name is never m-mentioned where Lockhart's death is concerned."

The man smirked, but nodded. He turned to leave and had almost made it to the door when Dumbledore called out, "Lucius, don't bother coming to the next school governor's meeting. Your fellow governors have decided that your… services are no longer required."

The resulting door slam was immensely satisfying.

Dobby finally could not contain his glee. "The great Harry Potter has freed Dobby! Harry Potter has beaten the horrible monster of Slytherin AND kept his promise to poor unworthy Dobby! Oh, how can Dobby ever repay you?!"

Harry grinned. "It w-was the least I could do, Dobby. B-But what will you do now?"

The elf's ears dipped slightly. "Dobby doesn't know, but anything would be better than what Dobby had!"

For a moment, it looked as if he would punish himself for speaking ill of the Malfoy's, but Harry took his hands and clasped them tight. "Dobby, would you like to work for m-me? I could use some help sometimes."

Dobby's eyes, already bulbous, looked like they would pop out of the little creature's head. "The magnificent Harry Potter would take Dobby on as his elf? Dobby is most unworthy!"

Harry laughed. "I c-can't think of anyone more worthy. I don't want you to be alone."

"Well spoken, Harry," came Kaecilius' voice from behind Harry's chair. The man walked forward with purpose and sat in a chair next to his student. "And well done. But now it's time for a private chat with your headmaster and I. Wait here."

Kaecilius waved his arms in a pattern Harry had never seen the man use, and the very air around the two men seemed to splinter and crack, like the spiderwebs that form on a broken mirror. They spread through the air, forming a kind of cocoon around the two men, and then Kaecilius and Dumbledore vanished, leaving Harry and Dobby in the empty office.

They traded mystified glances, then settled in to wait.

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About half an hour later, both men reappeared with a muffled boom, and it looked like they had been in a huge fight. Dumbledore's hair was in disarray and his beard had been pulled out in several places. His robes, previously a bright blue, were now covered in black and dark red stains, and it looked like his nose, already crooked, had been broken.

Kaecilius, meanwhile, looked only slightly better off. One of his eyes was swollen shut and he had a split lip. His clothes were also smudged and stained, but the man looked satisfied.

He turned to Harry, who stared back in awe and no small amount of fear. "The headmaster and I have come to an agreement," he said. "It has become clear that danger and death follow you no matter what you do. It is therefore imperative that you can defend yourself better. While you will be returning to the Dursleys, I will be teaching you magic of every variety during your stay. Wizard magic, sorcerer magic, hell, perhaps Dobby will teach you elf magic."

Harry looked at Dobby quickly, and the elf gave him an eager nod. Harry smiled, then turned to Dumbledore. "But what about the wand restrictions? I can't use wizard magic during the summer."

Kaecilius chuckled. "You just saw me transport myself and Professor Dumbledore into what is called the mirror dimension. I will teach you all about it this summer, but suffice it to say that no wizard can track what magic you perform while you are in that dimension. We'll be fine."

Harry beamed. "That sounds wonderful!"

Kaecilius smiled back, but put up a hand of warning. "There is a catch. If I am to do this, under the laws of your people I must take you as a full apprentice. You become my responsibility, and in return, you must obey all my orders without question."

Harry looked bemused. "How is that different from last summer? I did everything you told me then, too."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Harry. I placed many restrictions on how Mr. Kaecilius could instruct you last summer. I felt you would be overworked if he was allowed to train you as he wanted."

Harry felt a thrill of foreboding at how the headmaster had phrased that, but he was determined. "I want to be able to d-defend myself. Will you promise to do that?" he asked Kaecilius.

The man nodded his head firmly, and Harry said, "Then I agree."

Dumbledore clapped his hands, then winced. It seemed Kaecilius may have broken one of his fingers too.. "I will file the appropriate paperwork with the Ministry, then. Now, there is a feast to celebrate the recovery of all our petrified students. I hope I will see you there, Harry, but either way, I think you and Mr. Longbottom have earned Gryffindor house 200 points each."

Dobby, Harry, and Kaecilius left the office shortly after that, and Harry sent the elf up to his dorm room until after the feast, when they'd discuss their summer arrangements. After Dobby happily popped away, Kaecilius knelt down in front of Harry and took him by the shoulders. "Harry," he said. "I was terrified that you would be killed today, and you will be held accountable for your errors this summer. But know that many of those errors can partially be laid at the feet of Professor Dumbledore. If he had told you more about the man who would someday become Voldemort, especially when you described the memory you found in your mind, much of this could have been avoided. If he hadn't pressured you to explore more memories, I doubt Tom Riddle could have convinced you to disobey me. And if he'd been more proactive in unraveling this mystery, I doubt Mr. Lockhart would be dead. What I want you to know is that I don't trust the man with your best interests. I think he's playing games with you, and you must learn to take what he says with a hefty grain of salt. Do you understand?" He stared into the young boy's eyes, waiting for confirmation.

Harry's mind was awhirl, but he nodded. Kaecilius squeezed his shoulder with a smile and stood back up. "Good," his teacher said. "Then go enjoy the feast, and make sure you get lots of sleep tonight. You'll need all the rest you can get before this summer."

With a wink, Kaecilius waved his arms, stepped through a sudden portal, and disappeared.

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 **A/N:**

 **Lots of notes here.**  
 **First off, my wife wants you to know that whenever the rooster was mentioned in this chapter, you should imagine it as Hei-Hei from Moana, and it automatically makes the scene better. I wholeheartedly agree.**

 **Second, yes, I killed Lockhart for a reason. Besides being immensely satisfying (the man's a total prick), there will be consequences for his death in the future. Harry's deal with Malfoy will hold off those consequences for awhile, but it will definitely come back to bite him at the worst possible time.**

 **Third, I felt bad about Kaecilius setting all those animals up for slaughter, but that's really the point. A normal well-adjusted individual would never consider letting all those creatures die for a distraction, but Kaecilius is really not well-adjusted.**

 **Finally, I hope you enjoyed reading! This was my longest chapter by far. It's funny how it takes longer to convey the events of a few hours than it does to convey several months.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12: False Faces

**Disclaimer: Not the owner, just a writer. I'm not giving up my day job.**

 **A/N: Beta read by the clever Nyx the Author. Thanks for your insights!**

 **If you have trouble picturing some of the scenes during Harry's training, go rewatch "Dr. Strange". In fact, you should go rewatch it even if you can picture everything perfectly. It's a great movie.**

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Chapter 12: False Faces

 **Gilderoy Lockhart  
A Hero Remembered**

It is with great sadness that we at the Daily Prophet must report Gilderoy Lockhart, famed adventurer, author, and monster slayer, has passed away at 29. Lockhart was a recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, and beloved across Britain for his humorous and thrilling novels recounting his many exploits. Most recently, he took on the title of 'Professor' as he was spending a year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

According to reports, Lockhart was killed attempting to save the denizens of Hogwarts from a basilisk, the 'King of Serpents'. Preliminary autopsy reports confirm that Lockhart was killed by the gaze of a basilisk, but eyewitness accounts are lacking.

Lucius Malfoy, one of the school governors, had this to say: "Professor Lockhart will be remembered by everyone at Hogwarts for his caring demeanor and professional teaching style. More importantly, he will be honored as one of Hogwarts most dedicated graduates, having laid down his life for his students. I'm sure many wizards and witches will join me in petitioning the Ministry to award him a posthumous Order of Merlin, First Class for his bravery."

Mr. Malfoy also confirmed that the basilisk has been destroyed, in no small part due to Lockhart's actions.

For more on the past adventures of Gilderoy Lockhart, see page 3.  
For information on special edition reprints of Lockhart's published works, see page 5.

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Ron waved the newspaper in Harry's face furiously. "Can you believe this utter tripe?!" he cried. "Lockhart was an idiot who tried to bloody well wipe your memory away, and they're setting him as a new Merlin?!"

Harry shushed him and looked toward the door. They were on the Hogwarts Express, heading back to London and summer break, and the door had been shut for the entire ride. Even so, Harry didn't want Lockhart's true character to be widely known. _Ron, as long as he's seen as a hero, the public won't look too deeply into his death. They'll just assume he was doing what he always did and move on. If we publicize what a scummy tosser he really was, people will want to know more and look into the whole fiasco. They'll find out it was Ginny under Riddle's control. We don't want that, right?_

Ron sat back heavily and harrumphed. "No. Still makes me sick at heart, though. He was a wanker."

Neville, sitting next to Hermione, laughed. "No arguments there, Ron."

Ever since everyone had been revived, Ron and Hermione had welcomed Neville wholeheartedly into their little trio. He had been there for Harry when they were petrified, and they would not forget his loyalty. Besides that, Hermione was happy to have someone who took school as seriously as her, even if he wasn't nearly as academically successful. Ron, meanwhile, just enjoyed having someone else to trounce at chess when Harry had given up.

The train had nearly reached London when the compartment door opened and Draco Malfoy entered minus his usual goons. He also seemed to missing some of his confidence as he looked at each occupant of the room. "Potter," he said neutrally. "Weasley, Longbottom."

He looked at Hermione and, though he seemed to have something sour caught in his throat, he managed to croak out, "Granger."

This unexpected civility caught all four Gryffindors by surprise, and Harry eventually responded, "C-Can we help you, Malfoy?"

Malfoy visibly gathered himself and stated in a formal tone, "On behalf of the house of Malfoy, I would like to apologize for my behavior during our first year. It was crass and immature, and most unbecoming for the heir of a noble house. It shall not be repeated."

It was a good thing that Neville was sitting there, because the other three students had no idea how to respond to Draco's statement. Neville quickly stood up and gave a short bow to Malfoy. "On behalf of the houses of Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley, as well as that of Ms. Granger, your apology is accepted. May our houses be at peace in Merlin's name."

Malfoy looked slightly less discomforted once Neville had finished. He looked at Neville and Harry with a hopeful eye. "Do I have your permission to owl each of you over the summer?"

Harry was certain that if he'd looked out the window at that moment, he'd have seen a pig flying by. He just nodded dumbly as Neville verbally agreed, and Malfoy quickly made his exit.

Once the door had closed, Hermione nearly screeched, "WHAT just happened?"

Neville slowly lowered himself into his seat. "I believe that was Malfoy attempting to make friends. He followed all the social niceties, so it'd be rude to refuse him."

Ron seemed to snap out of a stupor. "Wow," he muttered. "Hey, wait. Why did he only ask to owl you and Harry, Neville?"

Neville gave him a pitying look. "Didn't your parents teach you anything? The feud between the Malfoys and Weasleys?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "It came up once, yeah. I was… busy while they were talking about it."

Hermione chuckled. "So you were stuffing your face."

Ron blushed but didn't respond, so Hermione turned to Neville. "All right, so there's a feud keeping him from writing to Ron. What about me? Why wasn't I asked?"

Harry gave her an incredulous look. "Do you want him to write you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not, but it's the principle of the thing."

Neville sighed and shook his head. "He's been the rudest to you for your blood status, I reckon, so he would need to make further amends before he would write you. It's up to you if you want to pursue it."

She replied with a laugh, "I'll pass."

Ron sat up straight, struck by a thought. "Guys, remember what he said to us when we were polyjuiced as Crabbe and Goyle. His father ordered him to make nice to us so he could stab us in the back later."

The other three sat in silence for a moment to digest that fact, and the train began to pull to a stop.

Harry stood up. "You're right, Ron. It's d-definitely a trick. But he doesn't know that we're aware of it. Let's s-see where it goes for now and pretend to be fooled."

Hermione nodded seriously. "Keep your friends close and enemies closer."

He gave her a smile. "Exactly. Everyone, if he c-contacts you, let us know what he says. Maybe we'll end up getting s-something out of it."

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Harry had never been happier to see Privet Drive. True, he was still despised by the Dursleys, but that was nothing new and he'd begun to understand that there was nothing he could have done better to earn their affection. They would always be shallow, hateful people, and he could only do his best and focus on pleasing the people who mattered.

Two of those people were waiting for him in his bedroom. Kaecilius gave him a warm smile and put up the silencing spells once Harry had closed the door, and Dobby bounded up to him, grinning from floppy ear to ear, and hugged his leg. "Harry Potter is home safe!" he squeaked. "Dobby was so worried about Harry Potter riding with the fat old Turdsley in the metal contraption!"

Harry almost corrected the little elf's pronunciation, but then thought better of it. He patted Dobby's head reassuringly. _I'm glad to see you too, Dobby_.

Kaecilius gestured for Harry to take a seat. "Well now, my new apprentice, are you prepared to start your training?"

Harry looked at him, stymied. _Already? I just got back. And besides, I'm sure my relatives will have chores for me soon_.

Dobby stamped a foot against the floor. "Harry Potter must not be doing chores when he has his Dobby to help! Dobby is his elf!"

Kaecilius raised his eyebrows. "He has a point, Harry. Doing housework is literally what makes him happiest."

Harry shook his head and replied, _That won't work. The Dursleys would go spare at the sight of him_.

Kaecilius grinned and knelt down in front of the elf. "Then we'll just have to change the sight of him."

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An hour later, Harry was peeking behind a door frame into the kitchen and struggling to hold in his laughter. His aunt and uncle were calmly sitting at the dinner table discussing their days. Meanwhile, dishes and food was flying through the air, assembling themselves into a casserole and side dishes before sliding into the oven and onto the range. Dobby was happily directing the chaos, snapping and waving his fingers with an enormous smile.

Apparently ever since Dobby had agreed to be Harry's elf, Kaecilius had been pondering the issue of how to keep the elf happy and occupied. To that end, he had modified the charm that he'd placed on Harry the previous summer. Before, it had made his relatives see what they thought they should see when Harry was working. Now, it was doubled in strength in order to make them think that Dobby was Harry and that he was doing everything the mundane way.

Harry had been concerned that Dobby's magic would be picked up by the trace, but the elf had been confident that they were in the clear.

Harry had to admit, as he watched the silverware whizz by Uncle Vernon's ear, that Dobby seemed to have been right. Dobby hopped down off the stool he was using and quickly scurried over to Harry's hiding spot. "Dinner is being nearly made," the elf whispered. "Would Harry Potter like to take Dobby's spot?"

Harry couldn't help himself. He got down on his knees and hugged Dobby fiercely. _You're the greatest,_ he said. _This summer is going to be the best ever._

Dobby sniffed back tears of joy. "Harry Potter is too kind!"

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 _Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzz._

Harry groggily opened his eyes. What was that noise? The room was still mostly dark, and there was a sound like a small chainsaw revving up. He sat up with a groan and looked across the room toward the sound. His… doorknob... was buzzing and glowing blue.

Harry reached over to his nightstand to get his glasses. Surely he was confused about the noise. His hand instead grasped a piece of paper, one which he brought up close to his eyes. He had to strain to see in the darkness, but he finally made out the words, 'you have to twist the handle to turn it off.'

Sighing, Harry made another grab for his glasses and pulled himself out of bed. He trudged to the door and followed the instructions with a grumble. Immediately, the buzzing ceased.

In the gloom, he saw another note stuck to the door at eye level. 'Get ready for the day. I'll see you in 15 minutes.'

Groaning even more loudly, Harry went to find his trousers.

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At 6 am precisely, Kaecilius appeared in the room to find Harry dressed, but once again asleep on top of his covers. The man shook his head and created a small portal, only a few inches wide, 3 feet above Harry's head, out of which a torrent of water poured. He closed it almost immediately, but the shock of freezing cold salt water and a tiny fish smacking Harry in the face woke the boy up properly.

Spluttering angrily, he wiped his face dry and glared at his teacher. _What was that for?_

Kaecilius set his mouth in a line. "You were warned. From now on, you should be dressed and upright by 6 each day. We have much to accomplish. Now up!"

Harry shook his head like a dog, sending water droplets flying, and obeyed. _Yes, sir. What are we doing first?_

"First, I will be teaching you to access the mirror dimension. It will do you no good to learn so much magic if you are unable to practice. Watch carefully."

Kaecilius slowly raised one arm above his head and made a gentle diagonal swipe through the air. As he lowered his arm, the air appeared to crack in half, then in quarters, again and again until there was a shimmering wall before the two, glittering and shining like a diamond in the early morning light.

 _Wow,_ Harry whispered. _What now?_

Kaecilius shrugged. "Walk into it. See what happens."

Confident that his master would never do anything to harm him, Harry did, stepping confidently through the surface just like he would the brick wall at Platform 9 ¾. On the other side, Harry could see nothing out of the ordinary, and he told Kaecilius so as the man joined him.

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it," his master replied. "In the mirror dimension, everything stays the same until you choose to make a change, and the real world is not affected by your actions. I could set off a grenade in here and your real bedroom would be untouched. Now, we'll begin with a run. Let's say… a mile?"

Harry squinted at him in confusion. _What, outside?_ he asked.

Kaecilius grinned and shook his head. "Not at all. Right here."

Harry looked around his bedroom. While certainly much larger than his old cupboard, his was the smallest room in the house. _Kaecilius, I can't even do a lap in h-_

He stopped. The room was… growing. The walls began to splinter apart, growing and blossoming like leaves on a vine. To his astonishment, he could see outside his room to the hallway, into his cousin's bedroom where Dudley was snoring. He could look into the neighbor's houses and see them cooking, watching TV, and getting ready for work. All the while, the sound of stone and wood grinding against each other built and grew louder. After a few moments, Harry had to close his eyes to stifle the headache that had started to grow. _Kaecilius, stop!_ he pleaded.

The sound ceased. He peeked open one eye to see everything back to normal. Kaecilius was looking at him. "In the mirror dimension, space and physics mean what you want them to mean. I wanted this room to open up and give you more freedom to move, so it did. In the process, I gave you a glimpse of what can be done by a skilled sorcerer."

Harry rubbed his temples. _I'm not sure I can deal with your 'glimpses'_ , he said.

His teacher shrugged. "Very well, we will work up to it. But I meant what I said about a run."

Harry felt the ground beneath him jerk, and he looked at his feet. The wood grain on the floor was multiplying and opening up into a repeating pattern. He slowly began drifting toward the wall behind him. _What do I do?_ he asked.

Kaecilius waved his hand in a circle. "Run forward, of course. Think of it like a treadmill."

Harry took a step, then another and another until he was keeping steady with the replication pattern in the floor. The faster he moved, the faster the floor did as well.

He admired the mesmerizing pattern it made as he jogged for awhile, then looked to Kaecilius. _How long should I go?_ he inquired.

His teacher tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Until you figure out how to stop it from moving. I am currently in control of how everything moves in this room. Wrest the control from me."

Harry scoffed. _I have no idea how to do that._

Kaecilius replied, "It's somewhat similar to how you interact with things inside your mind. You don't need to understand yourself, however. You just need to exert enough willpower over your surroundings while you channel transdimensional energy through your hands and arms. It's simple enough."

Harry snorted at the thought of Kaecilius' magic being described as 'simple', but began to concentrate on what his master had told him. He had plenty of practice utilizing energy from other dimensions, since that was the only way he could only practice Occlumency without a wand. He focused the power into his upper body and visualized the floor as a stable and unchanging surface. For a moment, he felt it slow, but then it jerked out of his control and sped up, making him land on his rear with a painful thump.

"Not bad for a first try," Kaecilius remarked, clearly trying not to laugh as he watched his apprentice being pulled backwards towards the wall. "But you need to do more than just visualize what you wish to happen. You must take control of your surroundings, and pull them out of my control. In your mind, your main opponent was yourself, your mind that wanted to remain static and unchanged. In this case, your opponent is me, trying to bring about a change that you don't want. You must suborn my will to accomplish anything."

Harry sat with his back against the wall, looking at his master with despair. _How could I hope to beat you?_ he asked.

Kaecilius crossed his arms and glared at Harry. "It won't be easy, I'll admit. Especially because whoever opens the mirror dimension will automatically have more power there than those who follow behind. You can't even leave here without my assistance. But that is why we will practice. You'll never improve if you don't try. Now up! Get off your bum and try again!"

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It was almost 10 before Kaecilius called for a break. Harry had never felt more frustrated. He'd managed to pull control away from his teacher for only brief moments, and each time the backlash would leave him on his backside. He rubbed his aching back as Kaecilius guided him through the diamond-like surface of the mirror dimension entrance.

His master called for Dobby, who appeared with a crack. The elf was covered with dirt and sporting a manic grin. "Yes, Mister Kaecy!" he called.

Kaecilius groaned. Apparently his name was difficult for Dobby to pronounce, and this was as close as he'd get to his proper title. He shook his head. "Some lunch for Harry and myself, please. Nothing too heavy, if you don't mind."

"Right away!" Dobby shouted, giving an enthusiastic salute before popping away.

The man gave a long-suffering glance to Harry. "Are all house-elves so strange, or did you just pick the most rambunctious?"

Harry grinned. "No, he's p-pretty unique. All the others I've m-met are mostly calm, even if they squeal when you th-thank them."

Dobby reappeared with a tray of sandwiches and water, which they gratefully accepted. Before the little being could vanish again, Harry asked, "Dobby, why are you s-so dirty?"

The elf's smile widened, contrasting his dark brown coating with his white teeth. "Dobby is hard at work on the garden. Mrs. Turdsley says Dobby must thin out the seedlings, and Dobby is digging deep to find the seeds that hasn't sprouted yet. Dobby has thinned out nearly every flower bed."

Harry snickered at the thought of Dobby tunneling through the flower beds to find each tiny seed. "Dobby, you only need to thin out the seedlings that have already grown up above the ground."

Dobby shook his head firmly. "Just because Dobby is doing chores in a muggle home doesn't mean Dobby does them to muggle standards! Thinning seedlings means thinning seedlings!"

Harry put up his hands in defeat. "Ok, Dobby, ok. D-Do it your way. Just don't let my aunt see you c-covered in dirt. She'd probably spray you with the g-garden hose till your skin is raw. And don't wear yourself out."

Dobby gave a satisfied nod and disappeared. After the duo had polished off their meal, Kaecilius stood and said, "Let's see if you can't open up the mirror dimension yourself. That should help you once we're inside. Up with you."

Harry groaned.

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 _ **June 25, Unknown Location**_

A man behind a desk turned as the door opened. "Agent Styx, about time. I called for you 20 minutes ago."

Agent Styx sat down opposite him. "Sorry, sir. The techs didn't want to interrupt our training. What do you need, sir?"

"I just got the news that the Triple-PH has failed. Our scientists estimate the failure will be discovered within a week."

The agent sighed. "It was inevitable. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did."

"Our researchers do good work," the man at the desk replied. "But this failure opens a door for you. We've been getting strange reports from our field agents, reports I'd like you to verify."

"Understood, sir. Where am I headed?"

"Home. We're sending you home."

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 **A/N: Lots of threads that begin in this chapter. You'll just have to see where they all lead.  
Let me know in a review if you can guess what's happening in that last scene. I've had that scene in my brain since very early on, and I'm excited to follow where it goes. (Triple-PH could also be read as PPPH, for the record.)**

 **As always thanks for reading, and leave a review to tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13: Learning and Letters

**Disclaimer: Marvel and HP don't not never belong to me.**

 **Beta read by the awesome Nyx the Author. Thanks!**

 **A/N: There was a reader question about the mirror dimension. Specifically, that sorcerers can only fold space in the mirror dimension when they have access to the power of the Dark Dimension, hence why Kaecilius made the deal with Dormammu in "Dr. Strange".**  
 **I watched the relevant scenes again just to double check, and the Dark Dimension certainly gives sorcerers more control in the mirror dimension, BUT I don't think that's the only way to do it.**

 **In the scene where The Ancient One first introduces the subject to Stephen Strange, she is explaining how it works and then folds space in front of him. Why do that, only to later say, "You know that power I showed you? You'll never be able to do it." She later only expresses shock that Kaecilius can fold space OUTSIDE of the mirror dimension, implying that any sorcerer can do it inside. The power of the Dark Dimension allows you greater power in the mirror dimension, AND the ability to fold space in the normal world.**

 **If a future Dr. Strange film contradicts this explanation, oh well. This is the reasoning I'm going with for this story, and Kaecilius gives some exposition on the subject in this chapter.**

 **More A/N at the end. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 13: Learning and Letters

July 1

"Focus, Harry. You are in control now. Don't let me grab it back from you. Keep everything motionless."

Harry had both hands splayed on the floor of his bedroom, eyes closed and teeth gritted. Kaecilius had been working him to the bone for the past week, intent on teaching him the basics of how to control the mirror dimension. While he had only been able to take the control away from his teacher for seconds at first, the intervals had steadily increased. Today, for the first time, Harry had a firm hold on the dimensional space and refused to let Kaecilius take over again. Sweat was pouring down his face from the effort, but he would not give up.

After keeping the room unchanged for over a minute, Kaecilius smiled and said, "Well done. Release it."

Harry collapsed bonelessly to the floor and for the first time, it didn't move beneath him. Kaecilius let him lay there for a moment, then helped his apprentice to a chair. After Harry had caught his breath, the man said, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you are now ready to begin manipulating the mirror world yourself, folding matter by your own will. You're also ready to work on other magic while you're here."

Harry smiled widely, relieved to finally start moving forward. "And what's the bad n-news?" he asked.

Kaecilius looked rather smug as he replied, "For the past week, I have been putting in the bare minimum of my concentration on manipulating the mirror dimension against you. Now that you've proven you can handle that much, I shall be making a real effort."

Harry groaned. "Thanks for the ego boost."

His master waved off Harry's complaint. "Don't mistake that as an insult. You are quite young, pitting yourself against an opponent with years of experience. The progress you've made is considerable. I just want you to be prepared in case the worst happens."

Harry looked up with confusion. "Like what?"

His teacher looked uncomfortable, as if unsure he should be sharing this much. "Well… what you must understand is that the mirror dimension isn't… empty. Sorcerers have been using it for millennia as a place to train, to hide, and to spy when necessary. But it can also be used to… contain threats."

Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. "Threats? L-Like evil sorcerers?"

Kaecilius shrugged. "Yes, at times. But also more otherworldly threats, when necessary. When a sorcerer has no other options, such as when they face an enemy that cannot be killed, then containment in a place where they cannot harm anyone is the ideal solution."

"Have you ever had to d-do that?" Harry asked. "Seal an enemy in here?"

"Me? No, I haven't," his teacher answered. "Thankfully. Even for a truly evil soul, being trapped in the mirror dimension would be a terrible fate. Have you yet noticed that everything is not exactly right here?"

Harry nodded. "Sometimes I see c-cracks in the air, and an object isn't quite the right size or sh-shape."

"Precisely. While we are training here, I am keeping everything around us mostly true to life, but my control is not perfect even this close. And the further away from me you move, the more space will distort and fold in on itself. If you were to walk down the street, the road would start to curve away from you, or diverge into two diagonal streets, or flip upside down completely. This is why we work so hard on your control before we can work on other magic, so that you can come in here without me in safety."

"And people can g-get trapped in here?" Harry asked with horror.

"Yes. Generally, there are only two ways out of the mirror dimension. First, the person who created the entrance can keep it open to come and go as they wish. If they bring someone with them, their companion can leave if physically accompanied by the original caster. But if that entrance closes, the only way out is a sling-ring portal."

"Which I can't use," Harry flatly said.

Kaecilius tilted his head. "For now, yes. I am still researching the magic of the portals, and I believe it may be safe for you to open one as long as you do not touch it. I am not completely sure, however, and I would rather not bet your impressive protection spell on a hunch."

Harry felt like rolling his eyes at Kaecilius' paranoia, but elected to continue their discussion. "So the mirror dimension is also a p-prison?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Essentially. But because the mirror dimension is the same size as the real universe, the odds of meeting one of those who have been confined here are remote."

Harry noticed his teacher had a strange look on his face when he said that last bit. "Have you ever met anyone?" he asked.

Kaecilius nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. "Once, from a great distance. It was last fall, as I was traveling. I had been using the mirror dimension to move further by folding space as I walked, and I came upon Darjeeling near the border of India. There was a mighty power at work there, using the city as a template to build an enormous throne. The buildings and roads were reshaped and molded in colossal shapes, then stacked upon each other. I could see a huge being with eight arms orchestrating the construction."

Harry was fascinated. "What d-did you do?"

"I created a portal and ran before they could see me, of course," Kaecilius answered.

"You what?" Harry asked, dumbfounded. "You ran away?"

His master shook his head. "Absolutely, and that is exactly what I expect you to do if you meet someone in the mirror dimension. Apparate back to the entrance you created, come back to the real world, and shut the entrance immediately."

"I'm n-not afraid," Harry said, affronted.

Kaecilius stepped closer to Harry and looked him squarely in the eye. "It's not about being afraid," he said slowly. "It is not cowardly to run from a fight that you don't need to start. Whoever that being was, they were immensely powerful, reshaping the mirror dimension in that way. Someone had obviously trapped them there. Had I engaged with that being, all I would have accomplished was the possibility of them stealing my sling ring and returning to our world, and I probably would have been killed in the process. They couldn't hurt anyone in the mirror dimension, so I left them there. Do you understand?"

Harry huffed, but nodded. Kaecilius seemed to accept that as an answer and continued, "So the reason I train you this hard is so you can defend yourself in a worst case scenario. If you are in the mirror dimension alone and you find yourself trapped by one of its prisoners, their most likely form of attack will be to manipulate the world around you in a violent or destructive manner. They will seek to imprison you in the ground or smash you with a building, or perhaps distort the dimensions of your surroundings so much that you become disoriented. It is therefore vital that you can fight back in the same way. The odds are that you will never face such a threat, but you have quite a propensity for finding danger. Better safe than sorry, yes?"

Harry nodded again, this time feeling more motivated, and Kaecilius seemed satisfied. He took Harry by the shoulders and guided him through the prism-like entrance back into the real world.

"Let's break for lunch, and you can answer some of the letters you've received," the man said, pointing to Harry's desk. Hedwig was sitting calmly on her perch nearby, looking like she'd just come out of the wind. Harry scratched her brow fondly, causing her to bark in pleasure, and he sat down to look over his mail while Kaecilius disappeared through a portal. One envelope had Ron's characteristic untidy scrawl, while the other had his name in an elegant cursive on one side, as well as a wax seal with the letter M impressed upon it. Clearly, Malfoy had followed up on his request to write.

Harry decided to read Ron's first, as he had a feeling Malfoy's letter would give him a headache. He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _How are you? I hope the muggles are leaving you be, and your teacher isn't being too hard on you. He sounds like a decent bloke from what you've told me, but I know you said he was mad at you because of the whole Chamber mess. Don't let him work you too hard._

 _I'm certainly working harder than usual. What with me, Fred, and George being petrified for half the year, mum is trying to cram months of lessons in our heads as fast as we can. Since Ginny was in such a bad state for most of the year too, she's been sitting in on most of our lessons. It's been exhausting, mate! At least we don't have to do any chores while she's teaching. Don't tell her I said, but mum is so busy that we've been mostly just eating sandwiches for every meal, even dinner! Hopefully, we'll all be ready for next year in time. Well, even if we're not, at least I'll have Hermione to help me._

 _Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you! Dad won the big sweepstakes for the Daily Prophet, and we even got our pictures in it! I put a clipping in the envelope for you to see. We were going to visit Egypt where Bill works with the winnings, but with all our extra lessons, Mum just put the money in our Gringotts vault for safe keeping. She says I can get my own wand when we go school shopping so I don't have to keep using this hand-me-down._

 _Hope to hear from you soon!_

 _Ron_

Harry peeked in the envelope and took out the newspaper clipping. It was dated to a few days previous, and proclaimed in large letters, " **MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE!** "

Underneath the headline was a moving picture of the Weasleys smiling and waving in front of their home, the Burrow. The eldest boy still at home was Percy, who was trying to look dignified with a small smile, waving like the Queen did at parades. The effect was completely ruined by Fred and George, who were taking turns giving him bunny ears and mimicking him behind his back. Ginny was beginning to look more lively since the disaster of the previous year, but her mother clearly had a strong grip on her shoulders, as if frightened that her daughter might disappear at any moment. Ron was in the center of the group with his father behind him, and Harry could even make out Scabbers, Ron's rat, sitting on the boy's shoulder.

Harry couldn't be happier for them, fondly remembering how they'd basically adopted him last summer. He hoped they made the money last.

At that moment, Dobby popped in with a tray of sandwiches, setting them down next to Harry. The boy smiled at his elf, asking, _How is my aunt treating you, Dobby?_

The little creature scowled. "Dobby has nothing to do, Harry Potter! Dobby asks and asks for chores from Mrs. Turdsley, but she says Dobby has done them already!"

Harry grinned, but then a thought struck him. _Dobby,_ he said. _Do you know where the Weasleys live?_

Dobby nodded. "The great Harry Potter went there last year for a month, and Dobby watched him when possible."

 _Excellent!_ Harry replied. _If you go there when you're bored, I know Mrs. Weasley is too busy to cook and clean this summer. I bet she'd love it if you helped out._

Dobby's ears went straight into the air. "Harry Potter means it!? Dobby can go clean the Weezy's house for them?"

 _Absolutely, but you must take a break when you feel tired, all right?_ Harry said, looking at his elf sternly. _That is an order._

Dobby nodded excitedly and popped away.

Harry smiled, feeling like he'd accomplished his good deed for the day. He reached for Malfoy's letter and broke the wax seal, then pulled out a letter printed on what felt like very expensive parchment.

 _Potter,_

 _Thank you again for agreeing to write me. In reviewing my behavior during our first year, I began to realize how terribly I treated you over a very small slight. When we first met on the train before we were sorted, I insulted the family of Ronald Weasley, and I believe that must have coloured your impression of me from the beginning. I apologize for that, especially as you had no way of knowing the bad blood that lingers between his family and my own._

 _Several generations ago, a witch betrothed to my ancestor broke her contract and eloped with one of Weasley's ancestors. After a lengthy court battle, the witch was allowed to stay with her new husband, but the Weasleys lost much of their fortune and their seat on the Wizengamot in damages. Our families have rowed ever since._

 _I should have realized how my behavior looked to you that day, since this was not information you would have known. Instead I took your rejection of a handshake very personally. I hope that when next we meet, you may take me up on a similar offer._

 _I hope your summer so far has been pleasant. I know that you live with muggles. I wonder how much their lives differ from wizards. Perhaps you have insight on the subject?_

 _Feel free to write whenever you'd like._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Draco Malfoy_

Harry had been right. He had a headache just from reading that. Everything Malfoy had written seemed so… professional and reasonable. His explanation of their first meeting gave new context to everything that had happened, and Harry honestly felt a little guilty about how he'd reacted now. There had been no insults towards Harry's relatives in the letter, and the Slytherin had basically apologized for everything.

But Harry knew better than to trust it. He had no doubt that every word had been proofread by Malfoy Senior, and it had all been carefully crafted to appeal to Harry. He would play the part just like Draco, and maybe he'd learn a few more new things.

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July 2

As soon as Kaecilius arrived the next day, he waved his hands in the familiar pattern and threw Harry and himself into his student's mind. Harry took a few moments to orient himself and give himself a body, then glared at his teacher. _What was that for?_ he asked angrily.

 _I believe I have avoided the subject long enough,_ Kaecilius said. _Now that you can be trusted in the mirror dimension by yourself, we should discuss the trip you took into your mind with that… monstrous person._

Harry tried not to wince. He had known the subject would come up eventually, but he'd tried to avoid it for as long as possible. _Yes, sir_? he responded, sounding as meek as he could.

Kaecilius gave him a knowing look. _Yes. First, you will show me the memory of it. Call it up. ALL of it._

Harry sighed, but obeyed, giving his master the full memory and waiting for the man to finish viewing it.

After a few minutes, Kaecilius seemed to shake himself awake, then glowered at Harry. _You foolish boy_ , he growled. _It is pure dumb luck that you aren't trapped in that chunk of memories to this day. If you hadn't found a memory to grab onto, you'd probably be so overwhelmed by those horrible emotions that you were driven mad._

Harry gulped, knowing the man was right. _Yes, sir. Sorry, sir._

 _That's not the worst of it,_ his teacher said. _Riddle was surprised you escaped, you remember? He thought you'd be trapped._

 _Yes,_ Harry answered. _So?_

Kaecilius looked furious. _So? What was he doing to Ginny the entire year, you simpleton?_

Harry gasped. _He was… possessing her!_

 _Exactly! And you very nearly gave him an empty human vessel to use as he pleased! He'd have been walking around in your skin and no one would be the wiser!_

Harry felt nauseous at the thought. _One of my friends would've noticed,_ he protested weakly.

 _Not necessarily,_ his teacher countered. _Riddle would have access to your every memory. He could have passed himself off as you quite convincingly, I'm sure. I would notice as soon as I was in your mind, but we weren't together all year. By the time we were due to meet, he could've easily absconded to who knows where._

That was a less than pleasant thought. Harry remembered how in the chamber Riddle had claimed he could run off and resurrect the older Voldemort. The world didn't need one Dark Lord, much less two.

 _You're right,_ Harry admitted, feeling extremely foolish. _I really messed up. He just seemed so nice and helpful._

 _Something you need to understand,_ Kaecilius replied. _Is that nice is different than good. Now, we should discuss what you actually viewed in that memory._

Harry perked up. _The flight tattoos?_

Kaecilius nodded. _Yes. Overall, it seemed fairly simple. Mayan symbols in the proper alignment, activated by an incantation. It appeared to be controlled by thought and willpower, and I'm sure it is quite magically draining._

 _Can I do it? Get the tattoos, I mean?_ Harry asked hopefully.

His teacher looked at him assessingly. _Now? No. You're not even 13 yet, and Mayan rituals tend to have unforeseen side-effects, especially on those still growing. I traveled to Belize in the winter, and met with several different priests and shamans while I visited. One of them performed a ritual for breathing underwater when he was a teenager. It worked perfectly for several years, then one day he woke up with scales covering his body._

 _Scales?_ Harry responded, disgusted. _Like a snake?_

 _They looked more like fish scales, actually,_ Kaecilius said. _Silver and iridescent. Quite beautiful on a fish, but not on a human. You understand why I am cautious about the tattoo now?_

Harry nodded energetically. _I don't want to end up looking like Hedwig._

 _Precisely_ , Kaecilius answered, smiling proudly at the boy. _I will research possible effects the tattoo could have on you. Perhaps we can look for another memory during this summer. We'll look_ _together_ _, yes?_

Harry nodded again, then looked up at his master gratefully. _Thank you for helping me, sir. I would probably have tried the tattoo without thinking about it otherwise._

Kaecilius smirked. _Yes, you probably would. And at your age, I probably would have as well. The allure of flight is quite strong. Now, let's leave your mind and practice awhile in the mirror dimension, yes? I think you need to prove your repentance for the idiotic decisions you made with Riddle's book._

Harry groaned. This would not be fun.

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July 15

"BOY!"

Harry sat up in his bed, instantly awake. Kaecilius had worked him hard all day, both with mental and physical exercise. While Harry had been in decent shape from Quidditch, Kaecilius seemed to be unsatisfied with his lean form. Workouts of all kinds had been interspersed with exercises to improve Harry's magical control, and the end result was an exhausted young wizard.

He groggily got out of bed and looked out the window at the setting sun. While Dobby was helping the Weasley's, Harry had to deal with his relatives all alone. He took a deep breath and started downstairs.

He entered the kitchen to find his uncle standing by the phone. The man looked at Harry like he was something unpleasant on the sidewalk, and said, "About ruddy time you get down here! Your Aunt Marge will be coming in a few weeks, and that means this place needs to be spotless!"

Harry looked around himself. Dobby had worked wonders. While Aunt Petunia had always insisted on a clean household, now everything _gleamed._ Being able to clean things magically meant that the floors, counters, and appliances looked brand new, and Harry knew that the rest of the house was the same. He looked back at his uncle. "All right…?" he said, nonplussed.

Vernon seemed to realize what Harry was implying, and swelled up indignantly. "Don't get smart, boy. Your aunt runs a tight ship and doesn't let you slack off, and that's the only reason this place hasn't gone to the dogs! Now you'll be fixing up the guest bedroom so it sparkles, and making sure her dog Ripper has a nice new doghouse out back. The old one has fallen apart, and you're to build one with padded flooring. Ripper's got arthritis these days, apparently."

Harry kept himself from rolling his eyes with difficulty. Ripper was a mean-spirited and badly tempered bulldog who should've been put down years ago. Harry normally liked dogs, but he made an exception with Aunt Marge's 'sweetums'.

"Yes, Uncle V-Vernon," he replied.

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July 20

Harry wiped his brow and heaved a tired sigh. Ripper's doghouse was almost built. His uncle had bought a feather-filled bed that would placed inside, and it was honestly nicer than the mattress in Harry's room. He was sure Ripper would tear it to shreds immediately.

It was as he hammered in the final nail that he heard a quiet "woof" come from behind him. He turned around and came nose-to-snout with what looked like a giant German Shepherd. It was completely black with green-yellow eyes, and its tongue lolled out of its mouth in a pleasant way. "Hello," Harry said quietly, hoping it was a friendly dog despite its size. After all, Hagrid's boarhound Fang was a huge teddy bear, and Ripper, while small, could've been previously owned by Satan judging by his temperament.

The dog wagged its tail and lowered its front paws, clearly hoping to play. Harry smiled in relief and looked for a stick to throw. With a quiet pop, a bright red ball appeared in Harry's hand. Harry and the dog both jerked in surprise, but then Harry realized what had happened. "Thanks, Dobby," he murmured, and then tossed the ball across the yard.

The dog stared at Harry for a few more moments in silent confusion, then turned and took off running after the ball. Harry laughed as the rubber ball seemed to elude the dog's jaws several times as it bounced before it was finally captured and returned. The dog dropped the ball at Harry's feet and panted happily, and Harry scratched its head. "Where did you c-come from, boy?" Harry asked, then took a quick peek to check if he was right. Yep, definitely a boy.

The dog panted a few more times and then pawed at the ball, clearly asking to play some more. Harry threw it and watched as the dog took off running again. It had no collar, but its fur was well trimmed and clean, so Harry doubted it was a stray. He threw the ball a few more times, but it was beginning to get dark and he was sure that Dobby would want to cook dinner, which meant Harry needed to hide in his room for awhile. The next time the dog returned the ball, Harry said, "I have to go, boy, so you head b-back to your family, ok? How'd you even g-get in here?"

The dog wagged its tail and licked his hand, then took off for the back fence in the yard. It squeezed between two bushes and Harry saw it slip under a missing board in the fence. He heard the click of its claws on the alleyway behind the house, and then it was gone.

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 **A/N:  
Subtle changes from canon in this chapter. The changes are there for a reason!  
Regarding Draco Malfoy, I made some changes for a few plot reasons, but also because his character in the original books never made sense to me. The boy is held up as the epitome of Slytherins, but for the first 5 novels at least, he is the most impulsive, brash, and Gryffindorish Slytherin in his house. I wanted to change that in this story. Here, Draco is a very sneaky snek.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14: Elves and Escapes

**Disclaimer: If these were my characters, I'd post them on a site called originalfiction. In other words, they're not my characters.  
**  
 **Beta read by the respectable Nyx the Author. Thanks!**

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Chapter 14: Elves and Escapes

July 25

Harry opened the latest letter from Malfoy. As always, every word was expertly traced and looked like it was done by a calligrapher. Harry had been writing back and forth with the boy over the past few weeks, and every letter was actually interesting. Harry had expected that Draco would eventually slip into his old habit of insulting and belittling, but it hadn't happened yet.

Instead, they had discussed wizarding politics, the histories of various families, and even magical theory. Harry had explained what living in the muggle world was like, and the Malfoy heir had responded with fascinating descriptions of life in a wizarding manor. This latest missive was no different, though Draco had finally stopped addressing his letters to 'Potter'.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I still have a hard time believing half of the things you say about muggles. For instance, I don't understand how they could have sent a giant metal firework into space. Surely it would lose power before it actually left Earth's atmosphere, right? Even using magic, our fireworks only go up a few thousand feet at most. I feel as if you're making it all up. Do you have any proof?_

 _Your thoughts on the Malfoy-Weasley feud in your last letter were intriguing. I asked my father what he thought about me and Ronald attempting to negotiate a peace, and he laughed. He assured me that even if I operated in good faith, any truce would need to be decided between the elders of the family, meaning him and the Weasley patriarch. He said that would never happen._

 _I then asked him about the future, when I am someday the head of the Malfoy family, and he said that I would need to negotiate with the eldest Weasley still living, which would almost certainly not be Ronald. Do you know how many older brothers he even has? I think there's 12 of them._

 _You also asked me about all the ways wizards get around. Obviously, there are the Floo network, broomsticks, and apparition. Those are the most commonly used methods of travel, at least in Britain. I know some countries allow flying carpets, but they're banned here for some reason. We have one somewhere in the attic, but it's only illegal to fly them, not to own them._

 _My father described portkeys to me as well. You have to be licensed by the Ministry to make one, as they're powerful and very easy to create incorrectly. A portkey is an object that has been enchanted so that once a person touches it, it will transport them to a specific location. If made incorrectly, it could take someone to the center of the earth, or the middle of the ocean. I know Wendelin the Weird used to make portkeys that would transport her high in the air, then she'd wait as long as she could before she got on her broomstick and landed safely._

 _I'm sure there are other ways to transport yourself, but those are the ones I know about._

 _If you want to learn more about this, I'd recommend taking Arithmancy as one of your electives this year. I know they cover portkeys and Floos in that class. What electives did you pick?_

 _Hope to hear from you soon,_

 _Draco_

Harry smiled in spite of himself. Even knowing that Draco probably was trying to fool him, the boy wrote so genuinely that Harry felt as if they could be friends someday. He wouldn't have to work hard at pretending to be Malfoy's friend when they met up on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry was contemplating what to write back when Dobby popped into the room, carrying a plate of fudge and a note emblazoned with a large red heart. Harry tilted his head in confusion at his elf, who grinned back, looking a little embarrassed. The boy picked up the note and opened it. Inside it said:

 _Harry dear,_

 _It was so thoughtful to send little Dobby to help me around the house for the past few weeks. However, I will soon find myself with nothing to occupy my time if he keeps this up. If you still want to send him over occasionally, I certainly won't object to your kindness, but please tell him to slow down a bit, won't you?_

 _Enjoy the fudge,_

 _Molly Weasley_

Harry fixed Dobby with an assessing stare, and the elf shrank in on himself a bit. _Dobby,_ Harry asked. _Didn't I tell you to take breaks?_

Dobby nodded frantically. "Dobby did, Harry Potter sir! Every three hours, Dobby would stop and get a drink. Dobby promises!"

Harry palmed his face. _And how long did those drink breaks last?_

Dobby considered for a moment. "About half a minute, Dobby thinks."

Harry sighed and got up from his desk, kneeling in front of the little creature so they were eye to eye. _Dobby, that's not a break,_ he slowly explained. _A break would be stopping every hour for five minutes, or every two hours for a fifteen minute break._

The elf looked mortified. "Dobby couldn't do that, Harry Potter! Dobby is no layabout! Dobby is proud to work hard for his master and master's family and friends!"

Harry shook his head. _You work too hard, Dobby. I know you're used to doing everything around the house for the Malfoys, but there's nothing wrong with relaxing every so often._

He thought for a moment, then smiled as he remembered something he'd been meaning to do. _Dobby, why don't we have you teach me something?_

Dobby gave him a blank look. "What could Dobby possibly know that the magnificent Harry Potter doesn't?"

Harry grinned. _How you apparate. You can go through powerful wards, like the ones on this house. Regular apparition is blocked here. How do you do it?_

Dobby shrugged. "Dobby just does it, Harry Potter. All elveses can."

Harry had expected that answer, and so he gently put his hands on Dobby's shoulders while still looking right into the elf's eyes. _All right, just think about how it feels to apparate, Dobby. Concentrate on the feeling of popping from one place to another. I'm going to try to find the memory in your mind._

Dobby looked dubious, but slowly nodded. "Dobby is thinking about it, sir. Is Harry Potter sure this is a g-"

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Harry felt like he was flying his broomstick through a firework show in the rain. Explosions in every colour imaginable surrounded him and pushed him back and forth, up and down. At the same time, tiny specks peppered his face and arms, making him squint and wince with every impact. The explosions and sharp pin pricks seemed to go on and on, disorienting and confusing him, until finally he hit a wall.

The impact jarred him, making his vision swim, but the cessation of movement steadied him until he could get his bearings. He peered out in front of him and after a few moments, he managed to understand what he was seeing. The flecks that still whirled through the air and stung his skin were emotions, and he began to distinguish individual feelings as they touched him. A spot of fear hit his arm, followed by a pinprick of happiness on his forehead.

He looked out at the explosions that still filled the cavern, and noticed that they were like no fireworks he'd ever seen. They would expand outwards rapidly and glow brilliantly, but then they would start to contract again, darkening and shrinking till they were nearly black orbs. Then they would explode out and repeat the process over and over, almost like flowers opening and closing.

If the tiny flecks were emotions, Harry thought, then those strange fireworks must be memories. But how could he get one, much less the one he was looking for?

 _Dobby?_ he called out tentatively. He got no answer, so he tried again, more confidently. _Dobby!_

The normally squeaky voice of his voice seemed to boom from everywhere at once. _**MASTER HARRY POTTER, SIR! IS YOU ALL RIGHT?**_

Harry clapped his hands to his ears, even though it did nothing to muffle the sound. _Dobby! Not so loud!_

This time, while the voice still came from everywhere, Dobby seemed to be trying to whisper. It was the loudest whisper Harry had ever heard. **_Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter! Where is you?_**

 _I'm in your mind, Dobby,_ the boy answered. _I can't find you or the memory you're concentrating on._

Dobby considered that for a moment, then said, **_Dobby doesn't know how to help. Dobby will get help._**

Harry barely had time to question what that meant before he felt a phantom pain in his ear, right where… the earring that Kaecilius had given him was. _Wait, Dobby!_ he shouted frantically. _I'm sure we can fig-_

Harry felt his consciousness being pulled violently backwards, and in less than a second he was lying on his back in his bedroom, staring up at his master who looked distinctly unamused.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" the man asked.

Harry tried to give a winning smile, but he had a feeling he was about to be yelled at.

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He was right. Harry estimated that he had said "Yes, sir," and "Sorry, sir," at least thirty times before Kaecilius ran out of steam. His master could easily give Mrs. Weasley a run for her money.

Finally, Kaecilius had calmed down and eyed Harry reprovingly. "Very well," the man said. "Let's see if you understand what you did wrong. Explain it to me."

Harry gave a very quiet sigh, but obeyed. "I should have d-discussed my idea with you first."

Kaecilius nodded, clearly waiting for more.

"I should've discussed it with D-Dobby more before trying it."

The elf in question gave a quiet "humph!". Harry gave him a quick betrayed look, but it had no effect.

"I definitely should have had you w-with me when I tried it."

"Without question," his master agreed. "And?"

"And I owe you and Dobby an apology," Harry finished. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm s-sorry, Dobby."

Dobby bounded over and wrapped Harry in a tight hug. "Oh, apologizing to Dobby," the elf exclaimed. "You is surely the greatest master any elf could have, even if you makes silly choices sometimes!"

Harry grinned, feeling better immediately, and he saw Kaecilius crack a smile as well. The man had one more thing to say, however. "Harry, you could have been hurt, or trapped, or mentally damaged again. You entered an unfamiliar mind with absolutely no preparation. Did you forget that elf in the kitchens you told me about? Dobby is literally an alien! You should have realized that his mind would be different from anything you were used to."

Harry nodded. Put that way, he felt quite foolhardy for his actions. Kaecilius hummed quietly, then said, "All right. I want you to describe for me everything you experienced in Dobby's mind. If we're going to find that memory, we will be prepared."

Harry looked up in wonder and confusion. "You mean you'll let me learn how to apparate like Dobby?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Of course. That's assuming humans are even capable of it. If you succeed, the ability to teleport through even strong wards would be extremely useful. Now, tell me everything."

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An hour later, both Harry and Kaecilius were inside Dobby's mind, watching the fireworks expand and contract from their place by a wall. _Let's see,_ Kaecilius said. _Dobby, are you focused on that memory still?_

 _ **YES SIR,**_ Dobby's voice thundered deafeningly before the elf apparently remembered to whisper again. **_Sorry, Mister Kaecy. Yes, sir._**

Kaecilius chuckled. _Well done, Dobby. Now, let's try something. Don't stop thinking about when you apparate, but I want you to remember how you felt when Harry set you free from Mr. Malfoy. Remember how happy and relieved you were at that moment. Can you do that?_

 _ **Oh yes, Mister Kaecy!**_ Dobby's voice was ecstatic. **_Dobby can do that!_**

Harry turned to ask what his master was doing, but Kaecilius put a finger to his lips and pointed out amongst the memories with his other hand. Harry followed the man's finger, brow furrowed in confusion. For a moment, Harry saw nothing different, but then a change began with the pinpricks of emotions that filled the area. While most of the specks continued to dart and zip around randomly, there were a sizable number that stopped where they were, quivering, and then sped off in the same direction.

 _After them!_ Kaecilius shouted, and he and Harry pushed off from the wall in pursuit. Zooming through the explosions was still difficult, but being able to follow the tiny targets through the minefield helped him regain his focus every time a memory would disorient him. Finally, Kaecilius slowed beside him, and they came to a stop staring at one memory in particular, one that was surrounded and coated in the tiny flecks of happy emotion. Having the tiny specks expand and contract each time the memory did only made it look more like a firework, with streamers dissipating into the wind after the initial bright burst.

 _Thank you, Dobby,_ Kaecilius called. _We found it. Feel free to stop concentrating on the memory and the feeling._

Instantly, the tiny spots of emotions dispersed, flying away and filling the whole cavern.

 _What do we do now?_ Harry asked. _It just keeps exploding like that._

Kaecilius watched the memory for a moment, then replied, _Wait until it has gotten as large and wide as it can, then approach it quickly as it contracts. If we grab it right before it expands again, we should be able to view it. Hopefully._

Harry turned to his teacher. _Are you just guessing?_

The man gave him a look of indignation. _Mostly, but my method of finding the memory was also a guess. Wouldn't you agree that worked?_

Harry shrugged and nodded, and they both turned to watch the memory carefully. After a few moments waiting for the perfect instant, they rocketed forward and reached out to touch the temporarily dark sphere. To Harry's amazement, it worked. They could see the memory from Dobby's perspective as he popped from room to room, moving rapidly through a lavishly decorated mansion. In each room, he would look around, snap his fingers to clean or straighten up, then pop to the next spot. Harry could feel how his body reacted to each apparition, and it was certainly different from the method he already knew, but he had no idea how to replicate it.

Without warning, Harry felt himself get pushed out of the memory much more violently than he'd ever been before. He was flying backwards, and he could see the memory he'd just been in expanding rapidly again. Not wanting to be battered and bruised by other memories and emotions, he frantically waved his arms to end the Occlumency trance. His consciousness returned to the real world, but his body retained its momentum and he was slammed into the wall behind him.

Groaning in pain, he opened his eyes to see Dobby frantically dancing by his feet, looking panicked. Harry looked around for Kaecilius, and found his master laying against another wall, looking similarly winded. "Are we supposed to be th-thrown out like that?" Harry asked.

His master chuckled, then winced and lightly touched his side. "Definitely not," he said. "But perhaps the rules are different in a non-human mind. Did you understand the memory?"

Harry shook his head, ignoring the crick in his neck. "Not really. Dobby?"

Dobby stepped closer to Harry, wringing his hands worriedly. "Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter! Dobby would never try to harm the wonderful Harry Potter!"

Harry waved off the elf's apologies. "It's fine, Dobby. But I d-don't think we'll try to go in your memories again. I got a g-general feel for how you apparate, but I didn't understand it all the w-way. Do you think you can teach me?"

Dobby nodded hesitantly. "Dobby can try. Dobby recalls how the older Malfoy elf trained Dobby, but most elf magic is… by feelings deep in elveses minds. Is that making sense?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Your instincts, yes," he said. "You'll have to adapt what comes naturally to an elf so that Harry can understand. Can you try that?"

Dobby nodded more decisively. "Dobby will do his best for the great Harry Potter! Harry Potter will pop like the best of elveses!"

Kaecilius and Harry shared a smile. "In the meantime," Harry said. "We can t-try to find another memory in my mind, right?"

Kaecilius shakily got to his feet, holding his ribs gently. "Another time, perhaps. For now, I think we could both use some rest and pain potions."

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July 31

A week of practice with Dobby had shown no progress. There had been a certain sensation that Harry had felt in Dobby's memory, a feeling of rising and building that had preceded each pop. Dobby's coaching had sometimes been difficult to follow due to the unique speaking style all elves possessed, and Harry had been completely unable to replicate the feeling.

Kaecilius had also been stubborn about traveling into the memory chunk in Harry's head so soon after venturing into Dobby's strange mind. He was concerned about Harry getting tired while they searched for a memory, and he refused to listen to the boy's protestations to the contrary.

As it was, more practice was the last thing on Harry's mind. Today, he had received his Hogwarts letter, which also contained a permission slip for visits to Hogsmeade, the wizarding village near his school. It needed to be signed by a guardian, and Harry was eager to see if Kaecilius would do the honors. After all, he reasoned, Kaecilius was his 'master' according to the paperwork Dumbledore had filed with the Ministry.

As he waited for the man to arrive, Draco's majestic eagle owl soared through the window and settled on a chair in front of Harry. As the boy took the letter tied to the bird's leg, he noticed two things out of place about the envelope. Firstly, it was much thicker than usual, almost bursting open as soon as he touched it. Secondly, Harry's name was almost scribbled on the front, a contrast to the normally elegant script that Draco employed.

He tore open the seal and slid out Draco's letter, and what appeared to be a large section of a newspaper fell out onto his desk. He unfolded the letter first and read.

 _Harry,_

 _I know you don't get the Daily Prophet (although you really should if you want to be well versed in wizarding current events), so I wanted to forward this on to you. Apparently, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. Father's sources at the ministry said it happened a few weeks ago and the Minister's been covering it up, hoping to recapture him before anyone knew he was gone. The Prophet broke the story yesterday anyway, and now everyone's in a tizzy._

 _I don't know what kind of protections you have living with the muggles, but I hope they're good. Sirius Black is a madman. He killed 13 people before his capture, and that's not even the worst part! Apparently, he was friends with the Potters, and my father says he betrayed them to the Dark Lord. Don't leave your wards under any circumstances. The last thing you want is to meet him in a dark alley._

 _Stay safe,_

 _Draco_

Harry sat in stunned disbelief for a moment, processing what he'd read. A quiet creak behind him made him spin around and yelp in surprise, but it was only Kaecilius arriving through a portal, a look of confusion on his face at Harry's reaction. Harry reached back and handed Draco's letter to the man, who silently accepted it and began to read.

Harry picked up the newspaper pages and skimmed through them. At the top of the page was a moving picture of Sirius Black holding a placard and laughing hysterically. The article beneath the picture only confirmed Draco's letter, though the information about his parents' betrayal wasn't included. Certain phrases jumped out at Harry, like 'often heard babbling in his cell' and 'vanished without a trace'.

The rustling of paper told Harry his master was finished reading. "What sh-should I do?" Harry asked shakily, not turning around to look at the man.

Kaecilius sat on Harry's bed and cleared his throat. "Why do you have to do anything? As terrible as this news is, it seems to be a matter for law enforcement to take care of."

Harry swiveled around and looked at Kaecilius in disbelief. "He betrayed my p-parents!" he shouted.

The man nodded. "And you would seek revenge, is that it? You want to hunt down a fully-trained wizard who has already proven he doesn't mind killing people? You may be a talented 13 year old, but you wouldn't stand a chance. Happy birthday, by the way."

Harry impatiently waved off his teacher's last statement, but gradually he felt himself settle as he considered the rest of what Kaecilius had said. "So I just, what, do nothing?" he asked, feeling foolish.

Kaecilius shrugged minutely. "No, not nothing," he replied. "You should train and learn as you have been. The last few years have shown that trouble finds you no matter what, so I shouldn't be surprised if this Sirius Black hasn't broken out of prison specifically to find you."

Harry's eyes were wide. "F-Find me?"

"Absolutely. He betrayed your parents to Voldemort, which means he followed Voldemort to some degree. Then your mother's spell work destroyed the Dark Lord, which I imagine made Mr. Black quite unhappy. He can't take revenge on your mother, so he's left with only one obvious target. So on the off chance that he tracks you down, you will train and improve your magic. You will especially improve your abilities to escape and your mastery of the mirror dimension."

Harry cocked his head in confusion. "I understand the escaping p-part, but why should I focus on the mirror dimension?"

Kaecilius gave a grin that looked slightly menacing. "Harry, you are one of the only wizards in the world who has been taught to utilize that power. Wouldn't you agree that the mind-bending realm of the mirror dimension would be a fitting place to imprison a magical mass-murderer?"

Harry smiled slightly, but felt a little uncomfortable. "I suppose, but you said it would be horrible for anyone to b-be trapped there."

Kaecilius stood and walked over to Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I did. My preference would be that you never run into Sirius Black. But if you do, I would much rather you trap him there than he succeed in killing you. So we train, yes?"

Harry nodded, feeling better already.

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It was only after a solid hour of work in the mirror dimension that Harry remembered the permission slip for Hogsmeade. He made his request to Kaecilius, who gave him a skeptical look. "Harry, Sirius Black is out and about. I'm sure he'd delight in cornering you in the village at the first opportunity. While we have a solid plan for dealing with him, I'm not going to serve you up on a silver platter."

"I'd be careful!" Harry protested.

Kaecilius snorted inelegantly. "Careful is not one of your specialties. Besides, I am not your guardian. Loathe as I am to admit it, that honor still falls on the shoulders of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. While I am your master, I don't believe that would satisfy your professors' requirements."

Harry sighed and hunched his shoulders. "Everyone else is g-going," he moaned.

Kaecilius rolled his eyes. "Spare me your melodramatics. I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

Harry might have begged awhile longer, but his uncle chose that moment to bellow, "BOY!" up the stairs.

Harry groaned and made his way to the hallway to look over the banister. Below him, Vernon stood in his coat and hat. "Yes, sir?" Harry said.

Vernon huffed. "I'm going to pick up Marge from the station. I wanted to make sure you know that we've told her you attend St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

"You WHAT?" Harry responded.

"You heard me!" his uncle bellowed. "That's what we've told her, and you'll stick to it, understood? I won't let her find out about your… abnormalities."

Vernon had a sick look on his face at the thought of his sister learning about Harry's magic, and this gave Harry an idea. As his uncle made to turn to the front door, he quietly said, "Uncle?"

Harry put on an innocent face as his uncle impatiently looked up at him. "That story's a lot to r-remember. What a name for a school! What happens if I let s-something slip?"

Uncle Vernon nearly turned purple in his rage. "I'll knock the stuffing out of you, that's what will happen!"

Harry shook his head. "No you won't, and even if you did, M-Marge would still remember anything I told her about mag-"

"All right, all right," Vernon shouted, seemingly distressed at any mention of magic. "What do you want, you little leech?"

Harry smiled broadly. "I've g-got a permission slip for a field trip I can go on at school. If you sign it, I'll p-pretend I'm one St. Brutus' most incurable cases, just like you want."

Vernon eyed him warily. "No funny business?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "None."

His uncle looked to be weighing his options, but finally agreed. "If, at the end of Marge's visit, you've kept up your end of the deal, I'll sign your ruddy slip. Now go away!"

Harry felt like cheering as he rushed back to his room, where Kaecilius waited with a wry smile. "Clever boy," the man said. "But can Dobby handle four unpleasant Dursleys at once?"

Harry looked blankly at his master for a moment before he understood the question. "Dobby!" he called.

The elf popped into the room, ready for orders. Harry knelt down and said, "Dobby, we n-need to do things a little differently while Aunt Marge is here. You can still do housework when I'm not downstairs, b-but whenever she's here, you let me deal with her."

Dobby looked belligerent. "Dobby can handle nasty Turdsley relatives!"

Harry smiled kindly. "I'm sure you can, but Marge likes to b-belittle me more than any of my other relatives. Could you say for certain that you wouldn't respond when she calls me s-stupid or ugly?"

Dobby seemed less sure. "Could Dobby give her donkey ears?"

Harry laughed, but shook his head. "No, and that's what I mean. I n-need Uncle Vernon to see that I'm on my best behavior. Donkey ears w-would interfere with that. So you just stay out of her way and let me be the one t-to respond to her. You don't deserve that kind of abuse."

Dobby looked up at his master with teary eyes, but nodded. Harry felt Kaecilius' hand on his shoulder. "You don't deserve that either, Harry," the man said. "But it is noble of you to volunteer yourself. Perhaps, after we leave here, you are ready to look for another memory from Voldemort's remnant. You said you wanted to look for information on portkeys, right?"

Harry's wide grin was all the answer Kaecilius needed.

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 **A/N: Please remember that if I changed canon, I did it for a reason. No Sirius this chapter, but don't despair. You'll see him plenty next chapter.**

 **I'd forgotten that Vernon literally threatened to "knock the stuffing" out of Harry if he blabbed about Hogwarts in the 3rd book. The Dursleys really suck.**

 **Sorry about the longer wait for this chapter. I know most fanfic authors don't update at my pace, but I feel bad after making you wait over a week. I was on vacation and I had writer's block. Next chapter will be done faster.**

 **As always, review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15: Dreadful Dursleys

**Disclaimer: My story, not my characters.**

 **Beta read by the excellent Nyx the Author. Thanks!**

 **A/N: When you read this chapter, make sure you visualize Marge Dursley as the marvelous Pam Ferris. When I wrote it, I was crossing her portrayal of Marge with her portrayal of the Trunchbull from _ **Mat** ilda. _****A bit more snide, quite a lot more batshit evil. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 15: Dreadful Dursleys

July 31

Harry was almost regretting his decision to let Dobby take over his chores for the previous month. The extra time to train and relax had been glorious, sure, but he was frankly out of practice when it came to dealing with his relatives. When his Aunt Petunia had screeched up the stairs to summon him, he'd nearly ignored it out of habit.

He was on hand, however, as Marge bustled through the front door, calling for her precious 'Dudders'. His uncle was close on her heels, and he immediately hissed at Harry to get Marge's bags. Once Harry had complied, he began dragging the heavy luggage up the stairs. He'd almost made it to the top when he heard her voice change from the doting tone she used with Dudley to her usual deep whine. "Still here, are you?" she called up after him.

He contemplated ignoring her, but quickly realized it would only make her go after him more. Aunt Marge liked getting into a yelling match, but she loved ripping an unresisting target to shreds. "Yes, I am," he replied calmly, then continued his trek upwards.

She sniffed imperiously, but only said, "Get Ripper out of the car right away. The heat in there doesn't agree with him."

Harry huffed quietly as he finished dragging her bag into the guest bedroom, then headed out to his uncle's car. Ripper was in his travel kennel and growled fiercely at the sight of Harry, who merely sighed and grabbed the handle on top of the cage. He was careful to keep as much of his body away from the kennel as he carried it around the house and into the back yard. He'd gotten nipped through the bars before, and wasn't keen to repeat the experience. Once he finally settled the cage onto the ground next to the new dog house, he stopped and considered what to do. If he opened the cage, Ripper would definitely try to attack him. If he didn't open the cage and just went inside, Marge and Uncle Vernon would pitch a fit.

The choice was taken out of his hands by Aunt Marge appearing at the back door of the house and shouting, "Let him out, stupid boy! He's been in there for over an hour!"

Harry sighed and reached down to open the latch to the kennel, ready to run immediately. There was a growl coming low and loud, and Harry was sure Ripper would try to take his finger off. As soon as the latch was thrown, Harry took several rushed steps backwards and tensed, looking at the dog warily. Instead of taking off after him, though, Ripper looked… afraid. He tried to back up further into its cage, but ran into the back of the enclosure.

Harry thought Ripper was still growling loudly for a moment, but then he realized that the growling sound wasn't coming from the bulldog. Cautiously, he turned his head from side to side and realized the growl was emanating from behind the doghouse he'd built. He slowly stepped sideways and saw just a long black tail that wagged slowly on the ground.

Harry had looked for the black German Shepherd a few times over the past few weeks, but eventually assumed that it had been found by its family and was home safe. Clearly, Harry had been wrong. Despite the wagging tail, the dog's growl certainly sounded fearsome.

"What's the matter, Ripper?" Aunt Marge cooed from the back porch, stepping forward. "It's just the little Potter runt, Ripper dear. He's your favorite squeaky toy, darling."

Despite her cajoling, Ripper remained firmly inside his cage. Harry heard the growling stop, followed by a quiet wheeze that reminded the boy of laughter. He slowly backed away from the scene and slipped past Marge into the house.

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Dinner was tense. Marge was certain Harry had done something to her dog, but since Ripper had come out of his cage after Harry had left, she couldn't prove it. Uncle Vernon kept giving his nephew suspicious looks, but Harry did his best to appear as innocent as, for once, he really was.

"Where did you say you send the boy, Vernon?" Marge asked.

The man sat up straight, focusing on his enunciation. "St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. It's the best for… hopeless cases," he concluded, giving Harry a nervous glance.

Harry merely took another bite of his pork chop, pretending not to hear them. Marge chuckled darkly and replied, "Sounds about right for the little bugger. And do they use the belt at your school, Potter?"

Harry focused on how much fun it would be to visit Hogsmeade with his friends and replied calmly, "Oh, yes. I've got the marks all down my back to prove it."

Vernon tensed at the obvious lie, but Marge only harrumphed at Harry's light tone. "A boy who can talk about his punishments so flippantly has clearly not been punished enough," she stated. "Vernon, you should write this St. Brutus' place and tell them to beat him more often. Spare the rod, spoil the child, I say. Hell, let's see what kind of marks these namby-pamby teachers left on the boy!"

Harry fixed his uncle with an impatient look, and Vernon almost shouted, "Dessert, Marge? We've got carrot cake!"

While she was distracted by the promise of baked goods, Harry quietly got up from the table and hurried upstairs. As soon as he got to his room and closed the door, he was greeted by the sight of a very angry Kaecilius. The man almost appeared to have grown taller, so ramrod straight he stood, and his face was contorted into a scowl.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, sure he'd done nothing to anger his master.

"I was listening to the conversation downstairs, just in case it got out of hand. You understated how horrible this Marge woman is. Wanting to see proof of someone abusing a child!"

Harry shrugged, walking over to his bed and sitting down tiredly. "That's Aunt Marge for you. Once when I was t-ten, Ripper chased me up a tree. She watched him barking up at me and laughed, then she went inside for lunch. I was in that tree for hours b-before she called him off."

Kaecilius looked ready to storm downstairs that instant. "I don't want you spending another second in that putrescent woman's company!"

Harry looked up at his master hopefully. "Would you sign my p-permission slip then?"

Kaecilius rolled his eyes impatiently. "I told you, your professors would likely only accept a guardian's signature. Is it really worth dealing with that horrible stain on humanity to obtain it?"

Harry nodded emphatically. "The older students have b-been telling us how wonderful trips to Hogsmeade are for two years, and I know my friends will get their slips signed. I'll t-train hard so Sirius Black won't get the drop on me, and I'm sure there will be plenty of teachers and prefects around."

Kaecilius looked down at Harry still hunched over on the edge of the bed. "Very well," the man said. "I understand you intend to get that signature from your uncle, and I won't stop you. However, you will otherwise interact with the Dursleys, and especially that woman, as little as possible. The moment you either obtain the signature or I say so, you will be leaving with me. You've spent over a month here, so the protections should be renewed. Do you understand and agree, Apprentice Harry Potter?"

This last question was stated in a very officious tone, and Harry felt his magic prickle and his spine uncurl all by itself. Quite on its own, he heard his mouth say, "I understand and agree, Master Kaecilius," and he gave the man a questioning look.

Kaecilius smirked back, and explained, "All part of the master/apprentice partnership. I can give you any order that will not cause you or someone else harm, and you must obey it."

Harry's mouth fell open. "Any order?" he asked in disbelief.

Kaecilius smiled smugly. "That's right. Dumbledore was kind enough to owl me a manual all about it that the Ministry printed in the 18th century. I did warn you before we started this summer that you would have to obey what I said."

Harry sat in shock for a moment, then considered. Kaecilius couldn't order him to hurt himself or anyone else, and he wouldn't do that anyway. The man had always had Harry's best interests at heart. What was the harm, then? He nodded at his master and smiled, and silently resolved to get a copy of that manual.

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Near midnight, Harry crept downstairs and carefully unlocked the back door. He slipped into the backyard lit only by the crescent moon and looked around. Ripper was snoring fitfully in his doghouse, and Harry carefully snuck around the structure, hoping to see the black dog waiting. To his disappointment, the space was empty. He sighed and turned back to the house, but then heard a quiet 'whuff' emanate from the bushes by the fence. He spun around and tiptoed closer till he could see the yellow-green eyes of the hound glinting softly.

"Hey boy!" He whispered. "You were wonderful t-today. Thanks for helping me out with Ripper."

The dog's eyes tilted sideways and quietly woofed again, as if it were asking a question. Harry grinned. "I wish I could t-take you with me when we leave in a week. Do you not have a f-family?"

The dog crept forward on its front paws and nuzzled Harry's leg affectionately. The boy sighed. "I guess that's a no. I know d-dogs aren't one of the accepted pets at Hogwarts. I'd have to leave you behind eventually."

It was hard to tell in the near darkness, but Harry could have sworn the dog looked offended at that statement. Harry sighed. "Sorry boy. You're not a c-cat, toad, or owl, and I've already got Hedwig. You can s-stay here for awhile, but don't let Marge or my relatives see you, ok?"

The dog let out a quiet 'urf' that sounded affirmative, and Harry scratched its head happily. "I should call you something in the m-meantime, boy. I can't just call you 'Dog'."

The dog put its padded paw up on Harry's knee and gave a quiet whine, but Harry barely noticed as he thought. After a few moments, he perked up and said, "How about Andros? He w-was a powerful wizard who could summon a giant protector if he was attacked. K-Kind of like you!"

The dog stared at him for a moment, then jumped up and licked Harry's face, making the boy chuckle as he wiped off the slobber. "Andros it is, then," he proclaimed, and scratched the newly named dog's ears. "Will I see you here t-tomorrow? You have to stay out of sight from my relatives."

Andros rubbed its head up and down against Harry's hand, and Harry grinned and went inside.

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August 6

The past week had been horrible for Harry. Marge loved to complain to both Vernon and Petunia about how terrible Harry was. Anything she could criticize, she would do so with great relish. His expression, his work ethic, his glasses, and even his height were all fair game to Marjorie Dursley. She also ensured he was in her line of sight as much as possible, so as to get in as many insults as she could. Several times, Harry would storm up to his room and contemplate telling Kaecilius that he gave up and they should just leave. His master had already made him pack nearly all his belongings up, ready for transport to wherever they would be going next. But Harry had purposefully left the permission slip sitting on his desk in order to motivate himself.

Finally, Harry had made it to the final day of Marge's visit, and she would be leaving early the next morning. If he could make it through one final dinner, the permission slip was sure to be signed.

The dinner had been expertly cooked by Dobby while Marge had been out shopping in London earlier. As everyone finished their main course, she took a deep drink of her brandy and said, "It's a shame, but last week I had to put down one of my pups. Weak, runty little thing. It was sucking up all of its mother's milk, and I couldn't have that. Not enough left for the rest of the litter, and they were all fine and strong pups."

Marge often went on long descriptions about the goings-on of her dogs, but Harry had a sinking suspicion about where she was going with this. It was confirmed when she continued after another swig of brandy.

"You get that sometimes with dogs and with people. Petunia, dear, it happened with your family, you know? Wonderful parents, you turned out fine, but your sister, well,"

She clucked her tongue sympathetically, but she had a wicked glint in her eye as she glanced at Harry, who was fighting to remain calm. Attacking him was old hat, but Marge was apparently tired at his lack of reaction and decided to target those who couldn't defend themselves.

"As Colonel Fubster always tells me, if there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup, you know?"

Harry took a deep and quiet breath and looked down at Marge's plate, clear but for a few pieces of steak. He cleared his throat, "Aunt Marge, may I t-take your leftovers out to Ripper?"

She paused and looked at Harry suspiciously with eyes that were turning bloodshot. "All right, boy, get to it," she replied.

He quickly grabbed the plate and hurried outside, eager to escape her hateful vitriol. Marge continued her schpiel as he left, but it was much easier to ignore from the back yard. He slowed his pace as he approached the doghouse, where Ripper had gone from lying in a stupor to sitting up at attention, glaring at Harry mistrustfully. He had yet to go after Harry yet, apparently still afraid of the growling he'd heard that first night.

Harry had been coming out each night and bringing scraps to Andros. He didn't see Andros out in the yard tonight, but the dog often stayed hidden and quiet like Harry had asked. Harry carefully placed the plate in front of Ripper and began to walk back to the house, ready to retire for the evening. He was confused, though, as he saw Marge waddling toward the back door, her mean eyes fixed on him. When he was still ten feet from her, she opened the door and shouted, "I still don't know what you did to him, but he will always listen to me! Ripper! Sic 'em!"

Ripper may have been worried about the larger dog, but this trained command overcame the bulldog's fears enough for it to jump to its feet and take off after Harry. Harry moaned in panic and began to run, but Marge was completely blocking his entrance through the back door, a malicious grin plastered across her face. He turned and made for the side exit to the front yard, with Ripper skidding behind him trying to account for Harry's sudden change in direction.

Harry could tell within seconds that he was not going to make it to the fence and be able to unlatch it in time to get away. He looked behind him at Ripper's approaching form, and carefully waited till the dog was nearly upon him before he jumped into the air and let Ripper zoom through his legs, the bulldog's teeth chomping at the air. The awkward aerial maneuver cost him, though, as Harry awkwardly fell to the ground in a heap. Ripper spun in a circle and let out a great bark before coming back at Harry, saliva flying everywhere as he charged. Harry closed his eyes and prepared for the pain.

There was a sudden thud and a desperate whine. Harry could hear Marge shouting in a panic, and he opened his eyes.

Ripper was laying on his side, inches from Harry's feet, and Andros was towering over him. The large dog turned his head and began growling menacingly at Marge. The woman, for her part, was screaming hysterically for Vernon to get a shotgun, and his uncle was shouting at Harry to "do something, boy!"

Harry shakily got to his feet, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He took a look at the scene around him and made up his mind. "Aunt Marge, shut up," he said firmly.

The unexpected command had the same effect as a well-cast _Silencio_ , and the large woman closed her jaw with a snap.

"I'm leaving," Harry said firmly. "I'm leaving n-now, and to hell with both of you. I'll be contacting Animal Control about your stupid d-dog, and I'm taking Andros here with me. Now g-get out of my way."

So saying, he walked purposefully to the back door and both Dursley siblings stepped back as he neared them, Andros trotting proudly at his heels. He heard Marge start to say, "Vernon, are you-", but a short growl from the black dog shut her up quickly.

Boy and dog calmly climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom, which was currently empty. Harry squeezed the earring Kaecilius gave him and sat on the floor to wait, scratching Andros lovingly behind the ears and whispering, "Thanks, boy. You were wonderful."

After only a moment a portal opened and Kaecilius hurried through, taking in the scene with a puzzled air. "Harry?" he asked.

Harry sighed and relayed what had happened as he kept scratching Andros. After telling everything, he finished his story by saying, "I'm ready to go, sir. Can we please take Andros with us?"

Kaecilius appeared to take several calming breaths, but nodded decisively. "You have everything?"

Harry got up and grabbed the permission slip from his desk and tossed it negligently into his trunk, then shut the lid. "Yes sir," he answered.

"Very good. Dobby!"

The elf popped into the room and smiled expectantly at the man, who continued, "Take the trunk to 13 Great Scotland Yard, London. You should be able to pop right in. If someone is there, tell them I sent you."

Dobby nodded with a grin and walked over to the trunk, placing on spindly hand on top, and popped away.

Harry looked expectantly at his master, not sure of what to do, but Kaecilius seemed unfazed by the night's strange events. "Listen carefully," the man said. "Go outside and walk a few blocks away. Once you see that the street is empty, take out your wand, light it, and hold it above your head. A large purple bus will appear and take you anywhere you ask for a few sickles. Keep your scar hidden, and remember the address: 13 Great Scotland Yard, London. Andros and I shall meet you there."

Harry nodded grimly, and Kaecilius smiled at him. "I'm proud of you, Harry. You kept your temper and wisely cut your losses instead of taking revenge. You stand strong as you leave the house, all right?"

The man dug into his pocket and pulled out a galleon, placing it firmly in his apprentice's hand. He beckoned Andros to him and then reopened the portal. The dog obediently followed him to the opening and they vanished through it.

Harry chuckled and nodded. He opened his door and walked calmly through the hallway and down the stairs. When he'd almost made it to the front door, he heard his uncle approaching him from behind, and he turned to face the purple-faced man. Vernon grimaced and whispered hotly, "You can forget about that bloody permission slip. I'll never sign it, you miserable maggot!"

Harry calmly stared at his uncle for a moment, then remembered the galleon still in his fist. He smiled and held it up for the man to see, who furrowed his brow in confusion. "You see this?" Harry asked rhetorically. "It's solid gold."

Vernon merely blinked, so Harry continued. "It's part of the c-currency with my people, and my parents were filthy rich. That means that I am filthy rich. I have p-piles and piles of these gold coins in a vault in London. More money than I could ever spend."

Vernon was now staring greedily at the coin, and Harry quickly stuffed it in his own pocket. "If you had treated me like a d-decent human being, I would have happily shared it with you as soon as I knew about it. But now I would j-just as soon throw it into a volcano as to give you a bit of it. So just think on that. Every time you've moaned about how much m-money I cost, you could have had it paid back to you and more b-besides. Goodbye, Uncle Vernon."

And he walked out the door into the night.

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After an exhausting and nauseous ride on what Harry had discovered was called 'the Knight Bus', he arrived at a white bricked building with a large circular window on the top floor. The window seemed to have some flowing design on top of it, but Harry couldn't make it out from the ground. He wearily walked to the front door and knocked.

After a moment, it was opened by a tall and thin man with a tan complexion and salt-and-pepper beard. He looked at Harry expectantly, and the boy stammered out, "H-Hello, sir. Is K-Kaecilius here?"

The man's lips thinned, and he nodded once before stepping to the side, allowing Harry entrance. Harry walked into a large entrance hallway with a grand staircase, and standing at the top was Kaecilius, who smiled broadly at his apprentice. "Welcome, Harry. This is the London Sanctum, one of the strongholds of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. The man who let you in is Sol Rama, and he is the Master of this place. Any order he gives you during your stay is to be obeyed without question. Understand?"

Harry nodded, and he heard Sol clear his throat behind him. The man spoke quietly, but firmly. "Kaecilius, are you sure it is wise to allow a wizard to learn our ways and walk our halls? His people and ours do not always… get along."

Kaecilius nodded his head once, then looked at the man. "I vouch for him as my apprentice. I take full responsibility for his actions. Does this satisfy your unease?"

Sol Rama bowed slowly in response and walked away, heading down a long hallway. Kaecilius watched him leave, then turned to Harry. "I trust you will not make me regret that statement, apprentice?"

Harry nodded frantically, which made the man grin. "Come," he said. "I will give you a tour in the morning, but for now you need to rest. I'll show you to your room."

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August 7

The sun was barely rising in Little Surrey, but Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were both seated in the dining room, eating a quiet breakfast. Vernon had dropped his sister off at the train station an hour earlier, and Petunia wanted to ensure he was fed when he returned.

Without warning, the air in the kitchen ripped apart, forming an orange portal of glowing sparks. The Dursleys had no time to react before a man in robes stepped through, fixing them with a glare.

After a moment of breathless terror, Vernon worked up the courage to say, "The boy… the boy's not here!"

Kaecilius curled his lip in disgust and replied, "I'm well aware of that, Mr. Dursley. I took him to a place of safety last night."

"Who are you?" Petunia whimpered. "What do you want?"

"I want many things, but for now I will settle for you two shutting your mouths and listening. My name is Kaecilius, and Harry is now my magical apprentice. While I wish I could train him in my home all summer, he relies on the protection that your blood relation provides as long as this is his home. It has kept him safe once before, and I will not take it from him."

The man took a few menacing steps forward, and both Dursleys tried to make themselves look smaller in their seats. With a man as large as Vernon Dursley, this was no easy feat.

"That being said," Kaecilius continued. "I have been most displeased with how you two have treated the boy. Little more than slave labor, really, while your own son lies about like a beached whale. I am here to tell you that this state of affairs will not continue next summer when Harry returns."

Vernon managed to regain a small measure of his composure to protest, "You can't just barge into our home and tell us how to-"

Kaecilius waved an arm and a glowing portal opened directly above their dining room table. Before the man made it vanish again, a gopher fell through in a shower of dirt. Petunia screamed shrilly as the rodent scrambled around in a panic, trampling the Dursleys' breakfast before it spotted the door to the backyard and tore outside.

Petunia kept on screaming for several seconds before Vernon overcame his shock and grabbed her arm, saying, "Pet, the neighbors will hear you!"

She snapped her jaw shut with a click and swallowed roughly.

"As you can see," Kaecilius continued calmly, looking as if nothing strange had occurred. "I can disrupt your banal lives in whatever way I see fit. The wards that protect you and him from evil wizards do not affect me in the least. Now if I say your behavior towards Harry will not continue, then it will not continue. Let me spell things out for you. When Harry returns to you next June, you will provide him with nourishing meals, you will let him live peacefully in the bedroom that you weren't using anyway, and you will otherwise leave him alone. Completely."

"He needs to earn his keep!" Petunia whispered hatefully, clearly offended that someone so unnatural thought they could give her commands.

"He has earned his keep many, many times over based on the housework you had him perform for the first eleven years of his life. I have seen his memories. Cooking meals on the range when he was five! Dusting, sweeping, and mopping from the age of four, when he could barely lift the mop! And screaming at him whenever he made a mistake, regardless of whether you had actually taught him how to perform the tasks he was assigned. No, he is quite done doing chores for you. His 'keep' from now on is simply providing you protection from other wizards. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Vernon's face was turning purple, but he nodded tightly.

"Excellent," Kaecilius said pleasantly, then he leaned forward. "Oh, I nearly forgot. I was going to leave you in the dark about this, but your abhorrent willingness to let Marge Dursley attack my apprentice with her pet changed my mind. Dobby!"

The little elf popped into existence on the Dursley's dining room table, making both muggles jump and shout in surprise. He gave them a smug grin and said, without taking his eyes of the Dursleys, "Yes, Mister Kaecy!"

"This is Dobby, the house elf," Kaecilius said matter of factly. "All summer, he has been magically disguised as Harry and has done most of the chores you asked of your nephew. You've had a magical being traipsing about in your home for over a month."

Petunia looked ready to faint, and Vernon's face was screwed up in revulsion. "Dobby liked doing the garden best!" the elf exclaimed.

Kaecilius' smile was quite wicked as he continued. "Funny you should mention the garden, Dobby. It is quite an impressive plot of land, full of gorgeous specimens that have rightfully made you, Petunia, the envy of the neighborhood. I have taken the liberty of placing a little spell on it, a spell of illusion. To the inhabitants of this house, all your beautiful flowers and plants appear completely normal. Dobby, however, has been planting magical seedlings all summer on my orders, seedlings that sprouted recently. Let's see, there were the dirigible plums, which are little orange fruits that float in the air. We had a few bouncing bulbs, I'm sure you can guess what those do. I made sure we included some venomous tentacula, which can be really nasty if you get too close without wearing gloves. It likes to wrap around your arm and sink its barbs into your skin. There's more, if you'd like me to go on."

Petunia's face was white as a sheet. "What do you want?" she moaned. "What do I have to do for you to get rid of it?"

"Me?" Kaecilius asked innocently. "Oh no, I have no intention of removing it for you. It's time for you to try some manual labor for a change. Slip on a pair of Harry's work gloves and get out there. Remember, to you it will all look perfectly ordinary. Perhaps you should get one of your neighbors to look through and help you sort it out?"

Petunia's white face took on a greenish hue at the thought. Kaecilius smiled broadly and waved. "Well, have fun! Till next summer!"

He vanished through a portal as Dobby popped away.

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 **A/N: The most frequent question I get in the reviews is, "What will Harry do when Kaecilius eventually goes evil?"  
Obviously, I can't flat out answer that question, but this chapter gave you a BIG hint as to what will happen during the events of ****_Doctor Strange_** **.**

 **In case you were wondering, Dobby did not plant anything out of the ordinary in the garden.**

 **And finally, Andros the Invincible has a chocolate frog card because he could summon a giant protector, a.k.a. a huge Patronus. I thought it was fitting.**

 **Please leave reviews and tell me what you thought! Harry's off with the sorcerers for a chapter, then we leave for Hogwarts!**


	16. Chapter 16: Teleportation Trouble

**Disclaimer: Not my characters.**

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Chapter 16: Teleportation Trouble

August 7

Harry awoke in a small room on a very comfortable bed, and immediately felt confused. The events of the previous night slowly came back to him, and he remembered he was in London with his master. A sudden rhythmic thumping startled him, and he twisted under the bed covers till he could see Andros happily looking up at him from the floor, his massive black tail smacking the rug repeatedly.

"Hey boy," Harry said tiredly. "Glad they let you sleep inside."

Andros jumped up and put his front paws on the edge of Harry's bed, intent on licking the boy's face. Harry laughed and backed away as best as he could, but he was still wrapped up in his sheets. Andros managed to give him quite a bath before Harry could get his arms free and push the dog away playfully.

A gentle cough made them both turn to look at the doorway, where Kaecilius was standing with a smug smile. "Good morning. I let you sleep in this morning, but I expect you to be up at our usual time for training henceforth. Perhaps Andros could help with that?"

Andros gave a joyful bark at hearing his name and slurped his tongue across Harry's face again, making the boy grimace.

Kaecilius chuckled. "Come. I will show you the Sanctum."

For a place that carried such an austere title, the Sanctum was fairly quiet. Sol Rama seemed to be the only other inhabitant, and he was absent as they walked through the building. There were glass cases filled with equipment and artifacts that looked ancient. As Harry passed, he thought some of the pieces stirred and moved, but whenever he would give an item his full attention, it would sit motionless again. Kaecilius led them through the building and explained the history of the more interesting artifacts until they reached the top floor, where they stood by the round window Harry had seen the previous night. "This is the sigil of the London Sanctum," Kaecilius said as he gestured toward it. "Each of the three Sanctums, London, Hong Kong, and New York, have their own."

"Why those three locations?" Harry asked.

"Each Sanctum was built over a place of power, where the minds of humanity were clustered and could be focused towards a goal. That goal is the protection of Earth itself from those that would harm it. No extradimensional threat can destroy or enslave our planet while the three Sanctums stand ready."

"Like the g-giant figure you saw in Darjeeling?"

Kaecilius laughed. "Oh, I doubt that individual could destroy the whole world. Damage a city or two, certainly, but that is not what I'm referring to. Humanity would recover from any attack he made. There are forces in the Dream dimension, in the Crimson Cosmos, and certainly in the Halls of Fear, who would make that eight-armed fellow quake in his boots."

Harry belatedly realized his mouth was hanging open when Kaecilius looked at him appraisingly. "Those are real places?" he asked.

"Certainly," the man replied confidently. "In fact, sorcerers draw on the power of those very dimensions to power some of their spells. For instance!"

Kaecilius placed his palms together and seemed to concentrate for a moment before slowly drawing his hands apart. In the space between them, pulsating red threads grew in length, glowing with an eerie light in the semi-gloom of the Sanctum. Kaecilius waited till his hands were stretched far apart before he grasped the threads with one hand and pulled. The threads solidified together and whipped out when he drew his hand behind him, then flicked forward. Harry winced as they flashed past his face, and then gasped as they encircled him several times, wrapping his arms tightly against his sides. He struggled impotently for a few seconds, then glared at his master, who merely smirked and said, "These are the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, which bind their victim."

The sorcerer flicked his fingers, and the bands dispersed instantly, allowing Harry freedom of movement. His master continued, "They draw their power from, obviously, a being known as Cyttorak, who is currently trapped in the Crimson Cosmos. He would dearly love to invade our realm and conquer it utterly."

Harry was confused. "And he lets you t-take power from him?"

"Yes and no," Kaecilius replied. "Cyttorak is trapped and cannot do anything to those who use this power, but only when used responsibly. There are other spells that Cyttorak could also empower, spells of strength and domination that would enable a sorcerer to win any conflict. To use them, though, one would have to invite more and more of Cyttorak's essence into themselves, and risk him taking control. Not unlike what Tom Riddle did to Ginny Weasley, in other words. Instead of merely taking over one person's body, though, Cyttorak would doubtlessly use that body as a sort of doorway, one through which he could escape his prison."

Harry shivered. "That's awful."

The man nodded. "Indeed. Thus, one of the duties of a Master of the Mystic Arts is to guard our dimension from incursions such as that. We draw power from other realms of existence, so we must also safeguard our home from the powers in those realms."

"Do wizards take power from another dimension?" Harry asked curiously.

Kaecilius shook his head. "No, wizards are a genetic subset of humanity that seems to be able to draw mystic power from our own environment and from within themselves. It's one of the reasons wizards and sorcerers have a history of… disagreements. Wizards view our method of magic to be rather dangerous and destructive, while we see wizards as self-important and arrogant. If it weren't for a quirk in their DNA, wizards would as mundane as any human."

Harry gave his master a quizzical glance. "You keep saying 'we'. I'm a wizard, n-not a sorcerer."

Kaecilius chuckled. "You're right. I have a difficult time equating you with the stuffy, self-absorbed wizards that I have had the misfortune to meet. You're nothing like them. You take risks and try new challenges, something most wizards shy away from. But besides that, I foresee you becoming something more than a wizard or a sorcerer. I think you are capable of combining both arts to make something new. Something the world will sorely need if the Ancient One is correct."

Harry just stared at his master, rather mystified. "But I'm just Harry," he protested meekly.

The sorcerer laughed heartily and clapped his apprentice on the shoulder. "And that is precisely why I believe in you so strongly. Now come. I believe I promised you a trip to find a memory."

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They floated in the ether inside Harry's mind, warily watching the fragment as it pulsed below them. Kaecilius looked quite serious as he said, _I spent quite a bit of time researching what could be anchoring this piece to your mind. I fear that I have only discovered what it is not, rather than what it is. I know it is not something from another dimension, nor is it something extraterrestrial. It seems to be composed of Voldemort himself, but he does not control it anymore. It still doesn't cause you any harm, so we can leave it be for the moment, but I haven't given up on destroying it utterly. Now, let us search for that memory. You remember what to do?_

Harry felt shaky, but nodded anyway. _Get in, focus on portkeys and try to locate something that resonates, and get out. Never let go of you_.

Kaecilius made a quiet noise of agreement and clasped Harry's arm, and they slipped inside the fragment.

It was just as unpleasant and disorienting as Harry remembered. Buffeted by the negative emotions, Harry could hardly concentrate, but he kept mentally repeating, "Portkeys, portkeys, portkeys."

Harry felt the slightest tug on his senses, but with so many sensations overwhelming him at once, he thought he imagined it at first. As they fought through the maelstrom, one memory swung within view before it was pushed away by the evil emotions that swirled and battered the two magic users. It appeared again, as if pulled through the morass before it was covered up once more.

 _That may be it!_ Kaecilius shouted over the barrage. _When it reappears, grab hold!_

Harry waited and concentrated hard, willing it to show itself again. When it finally did, he propelled himself forward and landed in a dark room, dusty and covered in cobwebs. He sat on a high throne above a horde of black cloaked figures, each one bent low before him. He felt a great sense of satisfaction in having so many proud pureblood lords bowing and scraping to him. He waved one hand in a gentle motion and hissed in a high voice, "Rise, my faithful followers. Rise and await your orders."

The robed men hurried to stand, heads still bowed in supplication. Harry reached down beside his throne and picked up a long length of rope that shone a golden yellow even in the gloom. He focused on a specific spot in Diagon Alley, exactly three feet above the cobblestone street and seven feet in front of Flourish and Blotts. With this destination firmly in his mind, he took out his wand, waved it in a complicated manner, and whispered "portus", while in his mind he thought the word, "purity".

Harry then levitated the rope out to the mass of followers and said, "In five minutes, you lay waste to the mudblooded shopkeepers of Diagon Alley. You shall demonstrate to those of impure blood that their presence in our world is no longer tolerated! You shall show the world what a Death Eater is capable of, and all shall tremble at your fury! Each of you, take hold of the rope and plan out your targets. Coordinate with each other to cause the most damage, the greatest destruction!"

An excited murmuring rippled across the room as the magic users plotted with their neighbors, but Harry was flung from the memory back into the miasma of emotions. He felt Kaecilius' hand squeezing his shoulder as he was pulled backwards, finally exiting the piece and returning to a training room in the Sanctum.

Harry took several deep shuddering gasps as he took in his surroundings, trying to order his thoughts. Kaecilius' face was contorting in a variety of emotions, seeming to struggle with what he would say. Finally, the man took a deep and slow breath, and calmly asked, "Have you found what you sought, apprentice?"

Harry nodded shallowly. "I think so, but there was a lot to it. You're focusing on a spot in a place you know well, but it's even more precise than apparating. Then you speak the incantation, wave your wand in a specific motion, AND focus on the trigger word that will set the portkey off. It's a lot to do at once."

Kaecilius shrugged. "Well, we thought it wouldn't be easy. If it were, your Ministry wouldn't regulate them so much. Let's start practicing, then!"

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August 19

Harry had never been worked so hard in his life. He'd thought Kaecilius was a demanding taskmaster earlier in the summer, but now that they were safely in the Sanctum the man had insisted that he learn much more sorcery and battle magic. Harry was slowly getting practice in drawing power from alternate dimensions, and while it didn't come as naturally as wizard magic, Harry found he had a knack for it. He worked on creating portkeys as well, but it was a lower priority to his master. Much of what Kaecilius taught was useless in dueling, as wizards had no equivalent spells to what he was learning. Its main purpose, as his master told him repeatedly, was protection and giving him the ability to escape. In one session, the man had explicitly told him to abandon any fight as soon as possible, which offended Harry's Gryffindor sensibilities. When he'd protested, Kaecilius fixed him with a deadly stare and whispered, "You are 13. I could train you all day and night and you'd still be no match for a fully-trained wizard or sorcerer. If you face a battle, you are to use every trick in your arsenal, and then you are to escape. Am I clear?"

Harry could only nod and then throw himself back into his training. One skill that his master had insisted he keep working at was the house-elf method of apparition. On this day, he was straining himself, trying to feel the burst of power that accompanied Dobby's pops. It was after a fruitless half an hour that Harry finally asked a question that would lead to a breakthrough.

"Dobby," he said. "What was the old Malfoy elf's n-name?"

Dobby tilted his head in thought. "Dobby doesn't remember, sir. It rhymed with Dobby's name, Dobby thinks."

Harry smirked. "Well, the M-Malfoys named him. Was he called Snobby?"

Dobby looked offended. "Old masters did not name their elves! Elves is named by their mothers, or by the head elf of the home!"

Harry sat up from his place on the floor, an idea growing in his mind. "Head elf?"

Dobby shrugged. "Yes, sir. Dobby heard tell that Harry Potter met the head elf at Hogwarts."

Harry grinned triumphantly. "Dobby, that's it! Once we go b-back to Hogwarts, I can ask for help with apparating from the head elf, Pliny!"

There was an ear-piercing 'CRACK!', and Harry was blown backwards by a powerful shockwave as Pliny appeared between the boy and Dobby. Pliny immediately hunched over and held onto his stomach, keening quietly in distress.

While Harry picked himself up, he heard two sets of footsteps running to his location, and within moments both Kaecilius and Sol Rama appeared in the doorway, looking ready for battle. "Harry, what happened?" his master asked worriedly.

Harry felt embarrassed to have caused such a commotion, but answered, "I think I summoned a house-elf b-by accident."

Pliny was still bent double, but could be heard protesting Harry's statement in his baritone voice. "Not so, Harry Potter, not so."

Harry scooted closer to the elf, concerned. "Pliny, d-did you just apparate all the way from Hogwarts? In Scotland?"

Pliny gave a shaky nod and looked up. His tanned and wrinkled face was tinged with green. "Yes, Harry Potter. Pliny overdid himself. When Pliny was young, such a trip would be cake pieces, sir."

Harry shook his head in wonder. He really needed to learn this skill. His musings were interrupted by Sol Rama's calm voice. "While I'm sure you meant no harm, Harry, I must ask why this elf is here. I was not informed of any planned visits."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "My apologies, Master Rama. I d-didn't actually invite him. I just said his name. I was planning on v-visiting him at school when I go back."

Pliny looked up at the two sorcerers, now only rubbing his stomach to show his discomfort. "Pliny comes in peace. Pliny heard Harry Potter say he would seek Pliny's help. Pliny was quite bored at Hogwarts with no students, so Pliny decided to come here to help."

His gaze sharpened after a moment, studying the adults keenly. After a brief silence, he asked, "Why is Harry Potter with sorcerers? This is no wizard dwelling, and these is no wizards, but they has magic swirling round them. Has Harry Potter been kidnapped by wicked sorcerers?"

Harry chuckled at the thought of Kaecilius' kidnapping him. "No, Pliny. I'm being trained to d-defend myself and stay safe. I'm apprenticing with Kaecilius here. It's a secret though, so d-don't spread it around the kitchen."

Pliny still looked unsure, but accepted the explanation. "Harry Potter mentioned apparition, yes?"

After a brief explanation of what Harry wanted to achieve and how they'd been practicing, Pliny shook his head in consternation. "No offense is meant, Harry Potter, but Pliny is not surprised you has failed. Dobby is not understanding where his power comes from. All house-elf magic is drawn from our old home, the dimension we comes from. If Harry Potter was a normal wizard, it might be impossible to draw it in, but you has been trained with sorcerers too, yes? Harry Potter may be able to do it."

Sol Rama stepped forward and got on one knee in front of the old elf. "One moment, please. Before we go further, can you describe your old dimension to me? What it looked like, what kind of creatures were in it?"

Pliny shook his head mournfully. "Pliny is sorry, but no. House elves, or Sylves as we was once known, hasn't been in our old home in many millenniums. That information is forgotten, even by our story keepers."

Master Rama stood up. "Then we must consult with the Ancient One before we go further. The magic that these elves draw on may not affect reality when they use it, but there is no telling what would happen if a human tries."

Kaecilius scoffed quietly. "We don't need to ask her, surely? With the two of us here, we can easily monitor everything and stop them if it seems dangerous."

Sol Rama turned and glared at the man. "I thought you cared for the boy, Kaecilius. You would risk his well-being by tampering with unknown magic from an unfamiliar dimension?"

Kaecilius seemed to bristle at the condescending tone, but nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Lead the way, Master Rama."

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Harry had only gone through some of the rooms in the Sanctum, but he had quickly discovered that the building was larger than it appeared on the outside. This became even more obvious as the group of three magic users and two elves silently trooped through the halls. They had started on the second floor and climbed down at least five flights of stairs, but Harry still saw sunlight streaming through windows as they passed hallways.

Finally, they came to a very tall door marked by the symbol of the London Sanctum. Sol Rama made a brief gesture with his arms, and it slid silently open.

Harry followed his master through the passage, and he saw what looked like a library, but it was what sat at the forefront of the room that made him stop and stare. Atop a stone pedestal, a small golden medallion sat in a matching holder, and Harry was thunderstruck. The piece was not particularly beautiful, and the gold even looked dusty. Inlaid on the front of it was the same pattern on Harry's earring, but that wasn't what caught his attention.

The sheer feeling of power overwhelmed the boy's senses. It was intoxicating, it invaded his mind and drew him in. It was like nothing he'd ever felt or seen or experienced, yet he also felt an eerie deja vu. There were voices on the edge of his hearing, voices of people he knew trying to get his attention, but he ignored them easily. This medallion was all that mattered in the world, and he could just reach out and touch-

Harry was slammed to the ground by a tiny body that screeched, "Harry Potter, sir, wake up!"

Harry gasped for air, both because he felt like he'd been awoken from a dream and because Dobby had collided with his gut. "W-what?" he wheezed.

"Harry Potter sir was in a trance, like an inferius, sir!" Dobby babbled. "Mister Kaecy and Mister Rama and Dobby and Pliny all tried to call for sir, and sir wouldn't respond!"

Harry had to grab Dobby by the shoulders to calm and quiet him. "All right, I'm sorry, Dobby, but I'm f-fine now."

He looked at Kaecilius, who wore a very serious and thoughtful expression. "What is that, sir?"

The man opened his mouth to respond, but a voice from further in the library, a voice Harry had heard only once before, beat him to it. "That is the Eye of Agamotto, a very powerful and dangerous relic in the wrong hands."

The group turned to see a woman in yellow and black robes, bald and with a serene face as she walked towards them. Both sorcerers bowed as she approached. "Thank you for meeting with us, Ancient One," Sol Rama intoned. "We would ask for your guidance in a matter of a new magical method of travel."

The Ancient One inclined her head. "I would be glad to assist, but I think I need to speak with Mr. Potter first."

"Me?" Harry said, bewildered.

She gave him a tiny smile. "You, Mr. Potter. Will the rest of you leave us for a moment?"

Kaecilius and Dobby looked unwilling to leave Harry alone, especially with Harry's earlier trance-like spell, but eventually Harry and the Ancient One stood facing each other unaccompanied. She studied the boy for a moment, looking curious, and said, "You intrigue me, Mr. Potter, as very few do."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that statement, but awkwardly said, "You can call me Harry, ma'am."

The Ancient One's smile grew wider. "Harry, then," she replied. "You intrigue me because you have so very many possible futures, more than any average wizard, sorcerer, or ordinary human. You can literally do anything with your life, provided you survive the next few years."

"Survive?" Harry knew his voice had squeaked embarrassingly, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Peace, please," she said calmly. "I say survive because you do face a great danger, and sooner than you think. You have a year, perhaps two before that danger rears its head and threatens your small world. Do you know of what I speak?"

Harry's throat was dry, but he forced out the word, "Voldemort?"

She nodded. "His nom de guerre, yes. Kaecilius tells me you two faced a version of that foul murderer quite recently, but he called himself Tom Riddle. Some shade that could drain its victims of their life force, I believe?"

Harry nodded. She went on, "But you beat him, both of you working together brilliantly. Hone that partnership, Harry. You need him, yes, but he needs you much more. You are, in many ways, the only thing that may keep him from a dangerous path, and he may be the only thing that keeps you alive to reach adulthood."

Harry couldn't look away from her face, and he managed a weak, "Yes, ma'am," which seemed to satisfy her.

"Very good," she said, and walked nonchalantly toward the golden medallion that had hypnotized Harry earlier. "Now, tell me what you felt when you first saw this."

Harry looked at it again, but now that he was aware of himself, the draw that had hooked him before was much weaker. "The power, ma'am," he answered. "It's like...a wave that s-swept over me. Like nothing I'd ever felt, and yet… like an old friend."

She gave him a critical glance at that last description. "An old friend? Surely you've never seen anything like it before?"

Harry nearly agreed, but something in his gut stopped him. "I might have… ma'am. Once. I c-can't place it."

She stared at him now, looking almost alarmed. "I must ask you to try, Harry. Think carefully. What powerful objects have you encountered since you entered the wizarding world? Was it a wand, a piece of jewelry, a stone?"

That jogged his memory, and he nearly jumped. "The Philosopher's Stone!"

The Ancient One could not have looked more surprised. "It's real?"

He looked at her incredulously. "That's the whole reason you sent K-Kaecilius to help me. I fought Professor Quirrell to keep him from getting it! And it f-felt a lot like this… this whatever this is. The same feeling of power, of…"

He trailed off, unsure of how to describe it, but she finished his statement succinctly. "Of infinite energy."

Harry nodded emphatically, and she hummed thoughtfully. "Do you know where it is now?" she asked.

"Dumbledore said he destroyed it, but…"

Again, she finished his thought, "But you don't think he did. You're almost certainly right. The old fool. He never told me what precipitated his request for help, but it didn't matter to me once I tried peering into your future. All that mattered was helping you recover and giving you a chance to make your destiny, whatever you choose it to be."

Harry felt embarrassed at how she valued him, and didn't know what to say beyond, "Thank you."

She gave him a small smile, and replied, "Not at all. Now let's see about this new method of transportation, all right?"

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She accompanied the group back through the large door and into one of the larger training rooms. Once the entire idea had been explained, she nodded and looked at Pliny. "I believe your ideas have great merit. Come here, please, and take my hand. We shall find your home dimension together."

Pliny looked doubtful that any such thing was possible, but gently raised his arm and placed his spindly fingers in her hand. "What must Pliny do, miss?"

"You say your magic is drawn from your dimension, therefore I should be able to feel that pull when you utilize it. Visualize yourself about to clean or dust an object, and prepare to snap your fingers with the hand I'm holding."

Pliny closed his eyes and concentrated, and the Ancient One smiled. "Precisely," she praised. "Hold that magic, and don't let it go to work yet. I need to find its source."

The rest of the group waited in silence as Pliny and the Ancient One worked, but after several minutes she opened her eyes and smiled at them all. "A realm of antimatter, where the universe has already begun its final and inevitable collapse. I am glad your race was able to escape it, Pliny and Dobby."

Sol Rama cleared his throat. "Is the magic safe for humans to utilize, Ancient One?"

She nodded. "For the purposes you intend, yes. I analyzed how the magic is drawn through the elf's system, and it naturally protects and cradles its user. Only… do not use it to summon an object. Ever. As I said, their dimension is made of antimatter. Even a speck of it brought into our universe would create a devastating explosion."

The whole group looked shaken at that pronouncement, but she continued on. "Harry, let's see how your studies have progressed. Come and join us here, and lay your hand on Pliny's. I will redirect the magic so you can feel it more easily."

Harry quickly obeyed and within a few seconds he could finally feel the pulse of power that he'd once felt from Dobby's memory. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "It's the same!"

She grinned wryly at his excitement, and instructed him, "Hold it within yourself and teleport to the other side of the room. Try it now."

He looked at the opposite wall, only 3 meters away, then closed his eyes and pushed himself, imagining his body in that spot. The power he now felt grabbed him and he felt the air pressure change abruptly.

He opened his eyes and saw the front door of the Sanctum. He looked around himself in confusion. He was on the street outside instead of where he intended. He looked down at his body and did an inventory to make sure nothing had been left behind, then hurried up the front steps and reentered the building. "I'm ok!" he shouted, running through the halls to where the group waited.

They all looked very relieved to see him in one piece. Dobby in particular seized his leg as soon as he returned to the room and gave a great hiccup as tears ran down his face. Harry looked at the Ancient One in confusion. "I was only gone for a m-moment!"

She chuckled. "You've been gone for five minutes, Harry. The only reason they didn't send out a search party was because I reassured them I could feel your life force in transit, and that you were unharmed."

He gaped at her. "Five minutes? It felt like I only was g-gone for an instant!"

She nodded. "As I suspected. I am going to try to move a larger distance using the same method. Please don't worry too much. If my theory is correct, I should return within the hour."

The whole group took a step forward, as if to stop her, but she had vanished and did not reappear.

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Precisely 30 minutes later, an orange portal opened in the air. Everyone in the group was relieved to see the Ancient One walk serenely through and smile. "What happened?" Kaecilius asked.

She laughed, a carefree and easy sound. "Harry attempted to move only a few meters, and ended up a few hundred meters away. I attempted to teleport to a delightful pub I know of right down the road, about a kilometer from here."

"Where did you end up?" Sol Rama asked breathlessly.

"Inside the space station _Mir_ , in orbit. I performed the calculations of how far I traveled once I arrived. It was, at the time of my arrival, flying over Bulgaria. That makes the distance I traveled approximately 2,800 kilometers."

The two sorcerers stared at her in horror. "How did you know you wouldn't be killed?!" Sol Rama asked.

Her knowing smile never wavered. "As I said before, this elf magic is benevolent, but now we have also discovered that it is wild. It will not obey us precisely, but it will keep its user safe. I knew wherever I ended up, I would be unharmed."

She turned to Harry. "I must ask that you only use this magic in the most dire of circumstances. It will not take you where you want to go, but it will help you escape from harm when all other options are gone. You may intend to move only a few meters and end up in another country. It will keep you safe, but it will not listen to you. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded seriously.

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August 31

Harry had just returned from Diagon Alley after a full day of shopping. Ron and Hermione had been full of questions about where he was staying, but Kaecilius had warned him repeatedly not to mention any 'sorcerous' matters to them. Harry had needed to edit or omit many of the things he had learned over the summer.

The necessity of lying to his friends didn't sit well with him, so he sat down in his room with Andros, talking about everything that had happened. It felt therapeutic to tell someone the full truth about his experiences, even if it was only a dog. Besides, Harry suspected that Andros was at least a magical crossbreed. He had warmed to Harry so quickly when they first met, and he seemed to understand everything Harry said with unerring accuracy.

 _...And as soon as we entered the magical pet shop, this orange ball of fur just pounced_ _on Ron's head, trying to get to Scabbers! Of course, Ron threw it off of him, but then Scabbers tried to escape, and the shop owner was running in every direction trying to catch the orange thing. Turns out, it was a cat, this half-kneazle tabby named Crookshanks, and then Hermione actually went and bought the thing! Can you believe that? His face looks all smashed in, like it ran into a brick wall, but she called him 'cute'_!

Andros laid down on the floor and put one paw over his snout, whuffing softly.

 _I know! Girls are bonkers, Andros_.

A quiet knock on the open door prompted Harry to turn and see a smiling Kaecilius. "Are you all packed for tomorrow, young man?" he asked.

Harry glanced back at his trunk, which was in total disorder. The books and supplies he'd just bought were still in their bags and wrappings on his bed, and the trunk itself had clothes and junk piled haphazardly inside. He turned back to his master and attempted a roguish grin. _Almost?_ he replied.

Kaecilius raised one eyebrow at the obvious fib and said, "I would suggest taking everything out of your trunk and repacking it. It wouldn't surprise me to find that there is plenty of trash in there that you don't need."

Harry sighed, but nodded. He trudged over to the mess and began removing everything.

"Thank you," Kaecilius said. "Remember, we'll still be meeting at least twice a week while you're at Hogwarts. If I need to waste valuable training time in forcing you to clean up your untidy belongings, I shall be most displeased."

Once Harry had nodded again to show his understanding, his master had left him to his work. Harry finally emptied the trunk after a few minutes and began to repack, telling Andros the stories behind some of his more interesting belongings. When he was almost finished, his hand brushed against a worn parchment that he'd nearly forgotten about. He picked it up and looked at it for a moment before sitting down beside the dog to show him what he'd found.

 _Look at this, boy,_ he said. _I got this from the twins last year on that awful night they were petrified. It's some kind of map, but it also shows where everyone is in the castle. Pretty incredible magic, huh?_

He looked beside him, expecting a bored look on the dog's face, but Andros instead looked absolutely shocked. His eyes were wide and his tongue hung out from his mouth.

 _You all right, boy? I should probably give this back to the twins once I get back. It's their property, after all,_ he sighed.

He stood back up and carefully rolled up the map before placing it in the trunk. He finally finished packing a few minutes later and headed downstairs to get supper, assuming Andros was following him. It wasn't till later that he even noticed the dog's absence.

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 **A/N: Someone asked me several chapters ago why Harry needed the map early. Ta-dah! Here's why!**

 **Regarding elf apparition, don't expect to see it come back again for awhile. Like the Ancient One said, it's only for the most DIRE emergencies, and its distance is pretty much uncontrollable for humans. I wanted to make it different than other stories where Harry can just instantly break through any ward because he's godHarry. There are rules and limitations in this universe.**

 **Please leave a review to tell me what you thought! Likes, dislikes, ideas for what you'd like to see. Some suggestions definitely make it into the story!**

 **Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17: Creature Chaos

**Disclaimer: My fiction, not my characters.**

 **A/N: This chapter has a bit of a vignette feel to it, with brief scenes all stitched together from a two day period. After this, we go back to our time-skipping usual as third-year begins. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 17: Creature Chaos

September 1

Harry dashed from room to room in the Sanctum, calling out for Andros in increasing desperation. His trunk was packed and sitting by the front door, but he didn't want to leave without making sure his dog was all right. Ignoring Kaecilius' repeated insistences, he searched every spot he could think of in the building. Finally, his master snagged his arm as Harry passed him again and ordered, "Apprentice Harry Potter, you will stand still now!"

Harry's arms and legs locked up immediately, and he had to restrain himself from shouting angrily at the man, knowing it would do no good. All the same, his eyes were streaming as he begged, "Please, let me find him! What if he g-got hurt by a relic or he's lost in a locked room or-"

Kaecilius grabbed his shoulders and squeezed. "You are going to be late for the train. I will search for him after I get back, and Dobby will help me. I may even be able to convince Master Rama to assist if I buy him a large enough baklava."

"I heard that!" the voice of Sol Rama echoed through the building. There was a pause, then his voice questioned, "How large do you mean?"

Kaecilius chuckled, and Harry even managed a smile through his tears. His master gently wiped Harry's eyes and said, "Andros will be fine. We'll find him. Now, get your trunk and we must be on our way. I'll let you know the moment he reappears."

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Harry was not pouting. He was thirteen years old, he was a wizard being trained by some of the greatest sorcerers on Earth, and he was definitely not pouting. He'd found a compartment with only one occupant, that of a sleeping adult, and was sitting discontentedly with his arms crossed, waiting for his friends.

The door slid open to reveal the frizzy-haired Hermione. "There you are, Harry!" she exclaimed happily. "...Why are you pouting?"

"Who's pouting?" Ron asked as he peeked from behind her in the corridor.

Harry sighed as his friends tramped into the compartment and put their things away. "I'm not," he insisted. "I'm just w-worried about Andros. He vanished sometime last night, and I haven't been able to find him."

Ron looked at him in confusion as Neville arrived and entered the room. "How did you lose a big black dog? From what you said in your letters, he's huge! German Shepherd, right?"

Harry nodded and looked out the window miserably. "I thought so. Not really sure, but I think he's m-magical too. He always seems to understand what I'm saying."

An unfamiliar voice cut through the cabin, "And how long have you had him?"

All four students jumped to see that the sleeping man was now wide awake, looking at Harry with curious eyes.

"I beg your p-pardon?" Harry asked.

The man seemed to remember his manners. "Apologies," he said, inclining his head. "I am Remus Lupin, your new Defense professor. I wanted to know how long you've had an abnormally intelligent, large, black dog."

The train began to leave the station as Harry answered, "A few months. He saved me f-from an attacking bulldog, and I took him in. He's very brave."

Professor Lupin looked rather gobsmacked at that statement. "He… saved you?"

Harry nodded, then remembered his own manners, introducing himself and his friends. The professor barely seemed to notice based on his dazed expression. Harry looked out the window one more time before they pulled out of the station. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but he thought he saw a flash of black fur behind a pillar as the train flew by.

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The professor appeared to fall asleep again after a few minutes, so the four friends did their best to maintain a normal conversation and act as if he wasn't there. A few hours later as it began to rain outside, the compartment door opened once more and Draco Malfoy awkwardly looked around at the occupants of the cabin. "Good afternoon, everyone," he said stiffly. "I hope you are all well?"

Harry grinned and stood up. "Well enough, Draco," he replied. "It's good to see you."

He stuck out his hand, and with a shaky breath, Draco took it. The other students in the car stared as they shook, feeling wary of the new dynamics that it represented. Neville coughed quietly and said, "Would you like to join us? We can make room for you to sit."

Draco glanced at Professor Lupin and shook his head, but anything he might have said was cut off as the train suddenly began to slow. Everyone looked around in confusion before the lights cut out as well. Harry was sure he didn't imagine it when Draco let out an "eep" of fear, and he pulled the blond into the compartment, shutting the door behind him.

As the train ground to a halt, Hermione whispered, "Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet!"

Ron whispered back, "Why are you whispering?"

Her retort was cut off by a quiet clicking noise that slowly approached the compartment, getting louder and louder with each passing moment. The hallway outside seemed to grow darker through the frosted glass as a tall figure in a flowing black robe appeared, tappings its long fingers against the wall. Harry couldn't help but compare it to the figures of Voldemort's followers in the memory he'd viewed, but those simple humans could never hope to inspire the terror and chill this individual evoked. Its hand fumbled with the door for a moment, then pulled it slowly open.

Harry's vision blurred immediately. He could still see the dark figure, but it had a glowing pair of red eyes that faded in and out of focus. He heard a high-pitched laugh that buzzed into his ears, then vanished like a badly tuned radio. He tried to squint at the figure, but just that small movement was too much for his body. As it reached out one skeletal hand in his direction, he fainted.

Losing consciousness was not enough to earn him a reprieve, however, as it seemed the memories that had been locked away in the fragment of Voldemort's sliver were given free reign. Some images he recognized, like the dark throne room, but new horrors played out within them. In one memory, Voldemort came down from his high vantage to torture a frail looking woman, snapping off red and orange curses that made her body contort and twitch. Seemingly unsatisfied at the lack of response, he grabbed a coin, enchanted it like a portkey, and placed it on her leg. With a horrific squelching sound, her leg twisted in an impossible direction before it vanished, making her scream like a banshee.

The memory faded into a scene aflame, buildings and even people streaming by like burning torches. Harry, from Voldemort's perspective, calmly walked through the chaos, occasionally directing a violent curse at those trying to contain the fires. Finally, a tall figure stepped forward to oppose him, but the crescent moon did not provide enough light to identify him.

Harry raised his thin wand and began to battle, trading curses and transfigurations at a pace he had never seen. Watching an individual spell fly the distance between the two fighters meant that the viewer would miss three or four other spells let loose right after.

Voldemort seemed to realize his opponent was more skilled than most wizards he fought, because he suddenly tried something unexpected. Right after casting a violet spell, he twisted in place and apparated straight up, then activated the tattoos on his back so he was hovering directly above his opponent, who spun in circles trying to figure out what had happened. Voldemort then cast several spells that did truly horrible things to his opponent. By the end of the memory, the man was nothing but a dark stain on the street.

The memories began to speed up, flashing through numerous events and battles, but Harry couldn't focus on any of them. The horrible bloodshed and tortures started to blend together, and Harry could almost feel his mind bending under the pressure, becoming too much to withstand. Sound and light and pain and screams all mixed together until, mercifully, everything went black.

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Harry came back to consciousness slowly, feeling a soft bed under his reclining back. He groaned quietly, and in response a chorus of young voices began to babble around him, asking if he was alright, how he felt, and what happened.

Thankfully, the no-nonsense sound of Madam Pomfrey cut through the noise, saying, "That's quite enough, children. As you can see, Mister Potter is awake, so now you should head back to the feast. We will take good care of him."

Harry peeked one eye open and saw his four Gryffindor friends and Draco nod reluctantly and head for the door of the hospital wing. Neville whispered, "We'll see you soon, Harry," as he left.

Harry felt a warm glow in knowing his friends were so worried, but he was more confused about what happened. Opening his eyes more, he saw Professor Lupin and Kaecilius standing on the other side of his bed. He looked at them questioningly, and Kaecilius seemed to understand what he wanted. The man knelt down by Harry's head and said, "The Ministry sent dementors onto the train to search for Sirius Black. Very foul creatures, dementors. Dumbledore has already lodged a formal complaint about letting those things around children, but I doubt much will come of it."

Harry's mouth felt painfully dry, but he swallowed and asked, "What is a dementor?"

Lupin answered, "Dementors are dark creatures that we use to guard our prison, Azkaban. I'd prefer we destroy every one of them, but we haven't figured out a way to accomplish it yet. I managed to drive the one in our compartment off fairly quickly, but you had already become unresponsive."

"And they m-make you pass out?" Harry asked. "Did anyone else…?

Kaecilius sighed and reached down beside him, picking up a metal pail and placing it in Harry's hands. "Most people do not lose consciousness, no. Dementors feed on positive emotions, and make you relive some of your worst experiences. I have a feeling, however, that it affected you-"

That was as far as he got before Harry remembered some of the things he'd seen while unconscious and promptly sicked up into the pail.

Kaecilius sighed again and rubbed his apprentice's back until the boy was done. Finally, Harry looked up blearily at his master and asked, "How can anyone do those things?"

The man shook his head. "I'm sure you saw some horrific events. When you are up to it, we will need to discuss some of them and help you come to terms with what you've seen. For now, we'll be giving you a Dreamless Sleep potion. What you need more than anything is rest."

After Harry had reluctantly quaffed the foul-tasting concoction, the three adults moved off to confer. Harry's vision began to blur, but he heard Professor Lupin say, "I've never seen a reaction that strong. What happened to him?"

He struggled to stay awake and hear more, but darkness overtook him again.

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September 2

Madam Pomfrey cleared him to leave the hospital wing early the next morning. There wasn't anything physically wrong with him, but his stomach still was tightly knotted. As soon as he entered the Great Hall, the feeling only worsened when it seemed as if every student and staff member turned to look at him. He looked around apprehensively until he saw his friends at the end of the Gryffindor table. As soon as he took a step forward, the entire room erupted into whispers. He hurried through the crowd, trying to ignore snatches of conversation. He finally made it to a spot Neville had kept empty for him and hunched low into the seat.

Hermione pushed some bacon towards him with a worried expression on her face, but he quickly shook his head and closed his eyes, violent images still playing out in his mind. Unknown to him, the dishes closest to his spot silently slid away from him, responding to his unease. His friends stared at the table, wide-eyed, and Ron opened his mouth to ask a question, but Hermione grabbed his wrist and squeezed.

Harry missed their byplay, but opened his eyes when he heard someone approach. He smiled as Draco came to stand by their spot, and the students around them quieted to hear what the boy had to say. Gryffindor had been well used to Malfoy spouting his mouth off during first year, and was curious to see what had changed now.

He didn't say anything, but gave Neville with an almost pleading look. Neville seemed to understand and loudly said, "Would you like a seat, Heir Malfoy?"

Draco returned with a small smile and a nod before he sat down at the table. The room around them immediately returned to frantic whispering as the boy said, "Are you recovered from the train, Potter?"

Harry wasn't sure why Draco was still calling him by his last name but decided not to question it in such a public place. "I am, thank you. Dementors apparently don't agree with me."

Ron grinned. "I heard one of the fifth-years wet themselves."

The addition of Malfoy to their circle caused considerable discussion for the rest of breakfast, but the other students eventually settled down and prepared for classes.

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After a fairly useless period of Divination, Professor McGonagall completely shocked Harry by turning into a cat. He'd seen her do it once before, but at the time he and Ron had been late to class, and were more concerned with losing points than their teacher's magical prowess.

After she had set them all to work on review of concepts from the previous year, Harry quietly raised his hand and waited till his teacher had approached his seat, her eyebrow raised.

"Professor, what must one do to become an animagus?" he asked.

She considered him a moment before answering. "Mister Potter, you have never shown a strong interest in my subject before. Your father was a prodigy, but your work thus far has been merely adequate. Prove to me that you are willing to put in the effort, and I may answer that question in the future. For now, turn your mouse into a snuff box, then turn it back."

She walked away to monitor other students, but Harry's mind was still awhirl with the possibilities. He could be a bird and be truly free to fly, without broom or tattoos. Perhaps he would be a great predator, able to finally fight a battle against someone older and more magically powerful. It took a gentle smack on the arm from Hermione to get his head out of the clouds and back to his assignment.

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Care of Magical Creatures was one of Harry's new classes for third-year. Dumbledore had worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure the Ministry recognized that Hagrid had been innocent of the crime that had earned him his expulsion fifty years ago. As a result, the large wizard was allowed to carry a wand openly and was now the teacher of the Creatures class.

As Harry and his friends walked behind Hagrid in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, Harry couldn't help but feel anxious about what they would be studying. Hagrid was a good soul, gentle and kind to everyone, but his enormous size made him oblivious to what constituted a dangerous creature. According to him, Aragog and his monstrous kin had only 'been playing' when they attempted to eat Harry and Neville last year.

The class rounded a corner and came upon an enormous paddock, and inside it were strange creatures that looked like eagles crossed with horses, pawing the ground and cantering around their pen.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid announced proudly, turning to face the class. "Mighty n' majestic beasts, but a mite prickly and prideful. Beautiful, ain't they?"

Harry had to agree. As strange as it was to see their feathered heads transition to hairy torsos and backs, they were still gorgeous. Each hippogriff was a different color; grey, bronze, tawny, and black. One even looked like it was descended from a bald eagle, its white head changing to a dark haired body. This was a creature that Harry would love to transform into. Proud and strong, able to fight and conquer his enemies, then take off into the skies.

Harry was still picturing his animagus form when Hagrid asked for volunteers, and was therefore unaware of the rest of the class backing up behind him. "Good man, Harry," the man called. "Let's see how you handle Buckbeak here!"

Harry listened to Hagrid's jovial advice for earning the magical creature's trust. He bowed low then stared it down, struggling not to blink. Perhaps Buckbeak could sense how much Harry admired its beauty, because the hippogriff bowed almost immediately.

Harry moved forward and gently patted its beak as Hagrid crowed his approval. The boy was starting to feel as if everything might be all right, but then Hagrid declared that Harry should ride the hippogriff and grabbed Harry, putting him on Buckbeak's back. "Hagrid, I'm n-not sure-" he protested.

But Hagrid slapped the creature on its rump, and Harry tried to hold on as it took off into the sky. There were no reins to grab, and the beating of its wings very nearly threw him off each time they went up and down. It was nothing like the smooth sailing of a broomstick, and Harry just wanted down as quick as possible. Unsure of what else he could do, he focused on the mind of Buckbeak, imparting his mind with humility and gratitude to connect better with the proud animal. _Down, please!_ he mentally shouted, desperate for the ground.

To his surprise, he felt a smug happiness projected back at him, like Buckbeak was glad Harry was scared. Within a few seconds, though, he felt his body angle towards the paddock, and the landing impact was surprisingly gentle. Hagrid hurried up to Harry as he slid ungracefully off Buckbeak's back. "Yeh all right?" he asked. "Bucky usually flies around fer quite awhile."

Harry smiled queasily. "Yes, everything went fine," he responded.

He turned to Buckbeak and bowed respectfully again. _Thank you for listening,_ he said privately.

Buckbeak still radiated that feeling of satisfaction, and bowed back.

Hagrid then gave careful instructions to the students about how to behave with the hippogriffs and had them split up into small groups. Harry hung back as his Gryffindor friends congregated around a black hippogriff, and he saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle cluster around Buckbeak. Curious as to how the Slytherins would do, he drifted closer.

Malfoy was speaking quietly to his minions, and Harry only heard the tail end of their conversation. "-only when necessary, Crabbe. I don't much like it myself, but they're not as terrible as I'd assumed. Much like this creature here. I'd have thought it would tear Potter apart at the first opportunity, but it seems like a bit of a softy. Aren't you, you overgrown chickadee?"

Harry could still feel Buckbeak's emotions in the back of his mind, and knew what was going to happen a few seconds before it did. Without thinking, he darted forward and grasped the back of Malfoy's robe, pulling the blonde backwards into the dirt. Buckbeak let out a mighty screech and tried to claw at the boy's retreating form, only to find him out of its grasp. It screamed again and went for Malfoy's companions, but they'd reacted quickly enough to escape as well.

Buckbeak reared onto its back hooves and seemed ready to attack the class as a whole, but Harry pushed himself off the ground and scrambled to the front of the hippogriff, bowing low and presenting his neck. _WE BEG YOUR PARDON!_ he shouted mentally to the animal, forcing feelings of remorse into the words.

For a moment, it looked like Buckbeak was going to slash Harry's head from his shoulders, but after it stared hard at his back for a few seconds, it settled down and gave another cry, this one sounding somewhat mollified. Harry dared to look up straight into Buckbeak's angry orange eye and thought, _The wizard is stupid and thoughtless. He will be fed to the worms for his disrespect._

Harry had no idea how much of what he was saying actually was understood, but he felt like laying it on thick was the wisest course. Buckbeak's emotions were still full of rage and displeasure, but it seemed to accept Harry's plea. It gave a small bow of its head to the boy and turned, trotting away into the paddock.

Only then did Harry look around. Every student was staring at him in awe and confusion. Hagrid, who had been running over as soon as he saw the commotion, looked gobsmacked. The giant man reached up to rub his eyes and said, "I dunno what yeh did, Harry, but yeh probably just saved Mr. Malfoy a trip to the hospital wing at least."

He seemed to realize what he'd said, as he then fixed Draco with an angry stare. "An' as fer you! I warned yeh to show proper respect! That'll be ten points from Slytherin!"

Draco looked outraged. "The beast attacks me, and I lose points?! That thing should be put down! Just wait till-!"

He stopped when Harry turned to focus on him impatiently. Harry sighed and said, "Draco, you ignored everything Hagrid s-said. You're lucky to still have a stomach."

Draco seemed shaken by that pronouncement, and he awkwardly got to his feet. He patted off his robes, and seemed to focus on his trainers as he quietly replied, "Yes, well. Thank you, then, P- Harry."

Harry nodded and went to his friends.

After the lesson was over, Harry was walking back to the castle when he heard a quiet cough behind him. He turned and saw Draco, who asked mildly, "May I walk with you?"

Harry saw Crabbe and Goyle standing a ways back, muttering to each other, and remembered the conversation he'd overheard earlier. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew who Draco had been talking about.

"Of course, Draco," he replied and let the boy fall into step next to him.

The silence was awkward for a minute or two, but Draco seemed to be working up the courage to ask something, and Harry was content to let him. Finally, the Slytherin said, "How did you stop that hippogriff from attacking?"

Harry considered how to answer. He knew whatever he said would almost certainly get back to Draco's father. On the other hand, most everyone in the school already knew about his telepathic communication. _Like this,_ he eventually responded. _When I speak to animals this way, they understand me to a limited extent. I told it that you would be fed to the worms for your insult._

Draco's face was a picture of shock, his cheekbones turning pink. "I thought that was just a trick you pulled on the gullible students," he said, his voice sounding choked. "That's really you, speaking right into my brain!"

Harry scoffed. _Of course it is. It's useful when I need to speak without stuttering. And when I need to save the life of students who mock animals with razor-sharp talons the size of scimitars._

Harry made sure to insert a teasing tone to that last part, but he wasn't sure how Draco would respond. Their face-to-face interaction so far had been mostly formal and somewhat stilted, but Draco seemed to understand his intent, because he gave a small smile.

"Yes, I suppose you have a point," Draco allowed, then his eyes widened. "Wait, you told it I'd be fed to what?"

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Harry and his friends had been looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, based solely on his ability to repel the dementors on the train. The hands-on lesson with the boggart was incredibly interesting, but Harry was disappointed that the man hadn't let him face it with his classmates.

After class was over and Lupin forced the boggart back into the cabinet, Harry hung back as his friends left. His teacher eventually looked up from tidying up and saw him, saying, "Can I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"Why didn't you let me fight the b-boggart, sir?"

Lupin looked back at him steadily. "I would've thought it was obvious, after speaking to Mr. Kaecilius. I didn't want You-Know-Who materializing in the room with a bunch of teenagers. We might have had a panic."

Harry gulped. He hadn't thought of it that way, but he still felt a bit cheated. "Can I try now, sir? I don't th-think that he's my worst fear."

His teacher was clearly skeptical. "Then what?" he asked.

"One way to find out, sir," Harry replied with a bit of steel to his voice.

Lupin certainly didn't seem as if be wanted to risk it, but he hesitantly nodded and led Harry back to the wardrobe. He looked at Harry again, who nodded decisively and took out his wand, and the man opened the door.

With a sickening series of clicks, a skeletal hand emerged from the wardrobe and grasped the door, followed by the black robed figure Harry had quickly grown to fear. The dementor pulled itself out into the room and began to drift towards Harry, who found he could barely keep his wand aloft. "Riddiku-" he gasped, trying to force out the incantation. "Riddik- ul-"

His vision was going gray and he felt his legs turn to jelly, but just as he was about to pass out again, Professor Lupin jumped in front of him, and the dementor twisted and morphed into a white globe floating innocently in midair.

Harry's vision cleared somewhat, but he still fell to one knee as he gasped for breath. Lupin cast a spell that pushed the orb back into the wardrobe before shutting the door and hurrying to Harry's side. As he pulled a bar of chocolate from his pocket, Harry could hear him murmuring, "Should've known, of course that would be your worst fear."

The man helped Harry to a chair and handed him a piece of the candy, which Harry ate dully. As he swallowed, however, he was pleased to discover that his whole body felt suffused with warmth. As he devoured it with much more gusto, Lupin paced the floor, glancing at him occasionally. Once Harry had finished eating, the professor stopped and looked at Harry before saying, "You are an apprentice, correct? This Kaecilius fellow, he treats you well?"

Harry nodded firmly. "He's the best, sir. I'm learning loads."

Lupin smiled at that. "Very well. In that case, you are to ask him to teach you the Patronus spell. If he's any kind of knowledgeable wizard, he'll know it. You probably won't be able to fully master it, but even a half-formed one will be better than nothing. This susceptibility to dementors is a real liability that you must remedy."

Harry felt a little insulted. "Why wouldn't I b-be able to master it? I'm not weak!"

Lupin sat down next to him and shook his head. "Weakness has nothing to do with it. Dementors target the worst memories a person has to paralyze their victims. According to your master, you have numerous memories of You-Know-Who himself performing truly soul-crushing deeds, and they're all mixed up inside your head. Harry, your first encounter with a dementor knocked you unconscious for three hours, and now the Minister has ordered dementors to patrol around the perimeter of this school until Sirius Black is caught. You can see why I am concerned."

Harry nodded. "I'll be careful, sir."

"See that you are. And remember, ask your master to teach you the Patronus charm."

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"Thanks for letting me use Hedwig, Harry," Ron said as they climbed to the Owlery after dinner. "I can't believe I forgot the rat tonic for Scabbers at home."

 _No worries, mate,_ Harry replied. _Hedwig has been wanting the exercise, I'm sure. How is Scabbers doing?_

Ron dug into one of his pockets for a moment and produced the rat in question. "Not great," he said.

Scabbers did look terrible. Patches of fur were missing, the paw with its missing finger looked infected, and the rat was distinctly twitchy, its gaze darting in every direction.

They arrived at the Owlery, and within seconds Hedwig swooped down out of the rafters, landing on a railing directly in front of the boys. _Hello, girl,_ Harry said. _Would you take a letter to the Weasleys for me?_

She hooted affirmatively and stuck out a leg, but the boys both paused, struck by the sudden silence. Usually the Owlery was full of hoots, feathers rustling, and other sounds, but now they could have heard a pin drop. Every owl besides Hedwig was still, and their attention was solely on Scabbers which still sat in Ron's hand. Harry saw one black owl on a lower tier widen its eyes as if surprised, and looked ready to pounce.

 _Ron,_ Harry said slowly. _Maybe you should put Scabbers away._

Ron slowly lowered his hand towards his pocket, but that slight movement was enough to set every owl off, and they all dive-bombed the redhead at once. The boys screamed and ran for it, letters forgotten, as talons, feathers, and sharp beaks pursued them down the stairs.

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"The Patronus charm?" Kaecilius asked as he and Harry stepped through to the mirror dimension. "I'm not familiar with much of your wizard magic, I'm afraid. And your professor says it's important?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied. "Especially since th-the school is surrounded with dementors."

Kaecilius hummed slightly in thought. "Very well. I'll ask Dumbledore for some resources on the subject. I'm afraid we have a more urgent problem at the moment, though."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's more urgent?"

Rather than answering, Kaecilius performed the spell that transported them both into Harry's mind. After Harry recovered from the rushed feeling of the tunnel, he looked around himself in horror. The piece of Voldemort had several large cracks in it, and dark memories and emotions had leaked out like an oil spill. He could see some of the foreign emotions attacking his own, tearing at them and ripping them to pieces. Harry's mind had well and truly been invaded.

 _You see the issue_ , Kaecilius said beside him. _That dementor wreaked havoc on your mind, and we need to repair the damage. At the same time, I'm sure some of these memories contain valuable knowledge, so we cannot simply work to destroy these rogue memories without first viewing their contents. I think I'll do the majority of that, rather than subject you to more horrors._

Harry was overwhelmed and could do no more than nod. He had no desire to see more memories at the moment.

The man continued, _If there is a spell that will protect you from a dementor's abilities, you should certainly learn it soon. It would be quite an inconvenience to repair all this damage, only to have you encounter another dementor and start the whole process over. Let's get to work, shall we?_

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MEMO

Agent Styx,

Your communique concerning developments in assignment Beta have been received and noted. Please keep in mind that it remains of secondary importance to assignment Alpha. You are expected to pursue your target in assignment Beta only if it does not compromise your ability to shadow assignment Alpha.

BURN AFTER READING

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 **A/N: Each of these scenes will have an impact on the rest of third-year, even those that seem** **inconsequential** **.  
As previously mentioned, the next few chapters will cover all of year 3. I foresee it taking about 3 chapters until we get to our finale with Sirius Black. Leave a review about how you think this will deviate from canon! I think you'll be surprised.**

 **As always, thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18: Maps, Memories, & Mysteries

**Disclaimer: Didn't come up with these characters.  
**  
 **A/N: A few interesting changes to canon here, some of which should give you clues about how the end game will be different.  
Enjoy!**

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Chapter 18: Maps, Memories, and Mysteries

September 14

Harry had been quietly working on his Divination homework in the Gryffindor common room when he felt hands grab him under each armpit and lift him straight up, then pull him backwards toward the portrait of the Fat Lady. His first instinct, borne out of months of training with Kaecilius, was to summon the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak and subdue his captors. He was drawing the power into his hands before he realized just who his kidnappers were, and the power dissipated.

It was the Weasley twins, and though he couldn't see their faces well because they were carrying him backwards, they seemed more serious than usual. It was a mark of how much Gryffindor was used to their antics that no one challenged them carrying Harry out into the corridor, and they continued in silence until they reached an empty classroom. Once they'd entered the room, they gently set Harry down in a chair, and one of them closed the door. They then faced Harry, stony-faced, and looked down at him.

Harry fought the urge to fidget and stared right back, waiting for them to explain their purpose. He knew the twins hated long silences and sought to fill them with as much noise as possible. His patience was shortly rewarded when one twin said, "We know you have it, Harrikins."

Harry raised an eyebrow. _What do I have?_ he asked.

The other twin sighed and replied, "The Map. The Marauder's Map. When we woke up in the hospital wing at the end of term, our hands were still frozen in the shape of holding the map, but it was nowhere to be seen. You were with us that night, and Madam Pomfrey didn't know what we were talking about when we woke up and asked for it."

Harry felt like hitting himself. _Of course!_ he said. _You're right, I do have it. I meant to give it back right at the start of term, but I forgot. Dementor attacks and all that._

The twins' stern faces softened at the reminder of what had happened, and one nodded. "That's fine. We're just glad you have it."

"In fact," the other continued. "We were planning on letting you use it this year. Ron told us you wouldn't be able to go to Hogsmeade… the usual way."

Harry narrowed his eyes. _What do you mean, the usual way? Are there unusual ways?_

Both twins gave him satisfied smirks. "This is Hogwarts, Harry."

"Most ways in this place are unusual."

"We know of seven ways to secretly get to town."

"Though one is blocked by rubble, and another by the Whomping Willow."

"And Filch knows about four of the others, so that's no good."

"Which leaves….?"

They ceased their back-and-forth patter and looked expectantly at Harry, who smiled and said, _One more way, right?_

"Precisely!" they exclaimed together.

 _Where is it?_ Harry asked excitedly.

One twin held up a finger and waved it in Harry's face. "Ah, ah ah!" he said. "We will show you where it is and how to use it just as soon as you return the map."

"We're planning a prank," the other continued. "And we need to make sure no one stumbles upon us as we set it up. It'll be in the Great Hall, you see."

Silently vowing to eat more meals in the kitchen with the house elves, Harry nodded and stood up. _All right, I've got it in my trunk. C'mon._

As they walked back to the common room, he asked, _Why did you call it the Marauder's Map? I didn't see any labels on it._

"Fred, he doesn't even know how to work it," one twin, apparently George, exclaimed.

"Honestly, George, Potters these days. Not a scrap of curiosity in their souls," Fred tutted.

Harry scowled at each of them. _What's to know? It's a map that tells you where everyone is._

George rolled his eyes. "Harry, it can turn into a blank parchment if you know the password. That way if someone catches you with it, they won't be any the wiser."

Fred continued, "And the other password makes the map appear again, which is when its name appears as well."

 _That does sound handy,_ Harry said, feeling glad that no one had seen him with it.

They climbed the stairs to his dormitory and walked to his bed, where Harry opened his trunk and began to look for the map. It was only after several minutes of searching that he felt confusion. _Guys,_ he said to the twins behind him. _I can't find it._

The twins offered, rather aggressively, to help Harry search again, but after a frantic emptying of his trunk yielded nothing, they helped him repack it as well.

"And you're sure you packed it?" George asked for what must have been the tenth time.

 _Yes ,_ Harry replied, annoyed. _I showed it to Andros and put in the trunk._

"Harry," Fred said with a grim look on his face. "If your dog ate the map, I'm going to track him down and neuter him."

 _Good luck_ , the boy responded morosely. _He vanished that night. Kaecilius thinks he ran away, but doesn't know how he got out of the San-, I mean the house._

The twins exchanged glances at his slip-up, but decided not to push it. "Come on, Harry," Fred said after a moment. "We can at least show you the one way to Hogsmeade that still works."

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October 9

It was a beautiful morning for Quidditch practice, and Harry was eager to get on his broom and soar. If only Oliver Wood, the team captain, would let them go out and practice. Instead, he went through over twenty diagrams of new formations and strategies, none of which involved the Seeker.

The team had been sitting in the locker room for over an hour when Harry finally raised his hand and asked what his teammates were all thinking: "Can we go now?"

Oliver seemed to realize how long he'd been talking, but had just one more thing to say. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "This is my last shot at the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor hasn't won in seven years now, especially with injuries and the final being called off last year. But we have the best team in the ruddy school, and that's a fact!"

The team all cheered enthusiastically, both to galvanize themselves and to get Wood to shut up, and charged onto the field.

Harry leaped onto his broom before they'd even reached the pitch and took to the sky. This was where the worries of danger and fugitives, of dark lords and extra training, all of it fell away. There was only Harry and the broom, zooming as fast as he could.

As he zigzagged across the pitch, he kept half an eye out for the snitch and daydreamed about flying under his own power. He loved being able to travel instantaneously, but other than apparition, all the methods he'd learned were unstable, like elf transport, or nauseating, like Floo powder or portkeys. Harry had come a long way in figuring out how to make his own portkeys, but his creations still had a tendency to drop the user from ten meters up or more. It was a work in progress, and Kaecilius had to place cushions under their target areas to avoid further injury.

But flight was how Harry loved to travel. After much nagging from the boy wizard, his master had decoded most of the flight tattoos from Voldemort's memory, and been less than pleased. He'd discussed it with Dumbledore, and the headmaster had agreed. Two of the tattoos conflicted with each other, causing a slow mental degradation that made the user more and more arrogant and self-serving. It was as if their personalities began to mirror that of a proud eagle.

Both men thought that explained quite a bit about why Voldemort became less charismatic and more of a megalomaniac as the years progressed. Harry just figured Tom Riddle had always been a monster, and the tattoos didn't help matters. What mattered more to Harry was figuring out a way to fix the conflict between the designs so that he could safely use it himself. Kaecilius had promised to look into it, but didn't see it as a priority.

Which left, to Harry's mind, broom riding and the possibility of becoming an animagus. Harry had done what research he could on his own time, but the library was purposefully scanty on information. Since becoming an animagus was a strictly regulated process, like making portkeys, Madam Pince made sure any relevant books were secured in the Restricted Section.

The one book that had mentioned it had been disappointing. There was no record of a magical animagus form, so a hippogriff was unlikely to be what he turned into. Further, he didn't even get a choice when it came to his animal. It was something innate about himself and his soul that determined his form.

He was so lost in his thoughts as he flew that he almost missed it when one of the twins shouted his name. After he shook his head, he saw the other boy was waving him over, and he flew down to see what was the matter. The giant 'F' that Angelina had sewn on the boy's practice shirt told Harry that this was Fred, although the twins sometimes switched their shirts on purpose.

"Harry, how did you describe Andros again?" (probably) Fred asked.

Harry screwed up his face in confusion, but answered, "A big b-black dog, I think he's mostly a German Shepherd."

"A bit shaggy, with a big dopey grin on his face?" Fred elaborated.

Harry nodded and asked, "Why?"

"Because either I just saw a Grim, or your dog was watching us from the Forbidden Forest."

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Harry had immediately sped in the direction that Fred pointed, but after over an hour of searching, he'd found no trace of Andros other than a single paw print pressed into the mud on the edge of the forest. Oliver had tried to coax Harry back onto the pitch to practice for awhile longer, but the third-year's heart was clearly not in it. Only a few minutes later, Wood called for an end to practice.

Harry went directly to the small classroom that Kaecilius had chosen for their sessions. He knew his master would not show up for hours, but he was frustrated and worried. Kaecilius had trained him to practice his Occlumency at such times, and this was what Harry did, effortlessly slipping into his mindscape. He gave his mental self a body and looked around. The stray memories and emotions from the shard of Voldemort still littered the area, but some had been forced back where they belonged or purged completely. Kaecilius had been true to his word and viewed the loose memories before Harry, making sure they weren't too upsetting. If a memory seemed too violent or the knowledge it contained could be skipped over, the man had taught Harry how to expel it from his mind.

Harry was getting impatient, however, with how slow the process was. The time it took to go through the relevant memories, twice in many cases, seemed to drag, and that wasn't even taking into account the fact that time in the real world behaved weirdly while one worked in the mental plane. Sometimes, Harry and Kaecilius would come back to awareness after a session and five minutes had passed. Other times, it would be after curfew and his teacher would have to personally escort Harry back to the common room to ensure he didn't lose house points.

Harry decided, as he looked around his mindscape moodily, to man up and go through some of the memories himself. He zeroed in on one nearby and pushed himself forward, reaching out for the dark image. He found himself in a dark tunnel, one that he recognized all too well from the previous year. He, in a young Voldemort's body, was kneeling on the damp floor of the Chamber of Secrets, poring over a small book. The text was in an old dialect that Harry didn't recognize, but the grin he felt on his face told Harry that Tom Riddle understood it perfectly. He reached down beside himself and picked up a small journal, which Harry recognized immediately as the diary he'd written in and eventually destroyed last year. He took his wand and carefully waved it over the diary, intoning a long and guttural spell that was in no language Harry recognized. At times, it sounded as if Voldemort was hacking or spitting before he continued his words. Finally, he finished speaking and tapped the diary, which glowed an eerie violet in the gloom. He smiled in satisfaction, then called out in Parseltongue, "Come, my pet! We must find you a meal at last!"

The slithering sound that had terrified Harry so much came out of the darkness, but Tom turned his head and led the basilisk down the tunnel without looking back. Once they reached the slide that led up, he carefully put out an arm while still facing forward, and the basilisk slid underneath him, picking up his form easily and tossing him gently behind the basilisk's red-crested head. Once Tom patted the snake's head in approval, it quickly wound up the slide, covering the distance to the entrance in the bathroom within a minute.

Tom whispered, "Open," and the darkness slowly abated.

Boy and snake looked carefully around the girl's bathroom, and the basilisk seemed to jerk before hissing, "I smell a little one, master!" in great excitement.

Tom had a wild grin on his face as he replied, "KILL THEM!"

They both heard a quiet sniffle, and one of the stalls unlocked. A small and petulant voice said, "Excuse me, you're in th-"

That was all she managed before Myrtle choked, meeting the poisonous eyes of the basilisk fully. Her body spasmed, and she fell to the floor in a jumble of lifeless limbs.

Tom barely noticed as the magic took hold. While he had not struck the killing blow, the basilisk had killed under his direct order, and his research had been clear; that was enough to activate his perfect escape from death. He felt a great ache building in his chest, but that wasn't the worst pain he was experiencing. The diary he clutched in his hand glowed white hot, and his hand went rigid and wouldn't let him drop it. It burned like a deadly acid, his hand feeling like it would be incinerated completely, but after a few moments the book cooled and darkened. He took a few shuddering gasps and looked down at the book, which now appeared perfectly normal.

"Master? Are you all right?" he heard the basilisk ask in concern.

He took another deep breath and replied with a vicious smile, "I've never been better."

The memory ended and Harry found himself back in his mindscape, but he saw that Kaecilius was there, looking at him in concern. Harry nodded shakily and performed the spell to exit his mind.

Once they were both back in the room, Harry looked around in confusion. "Sir?" he asked. "I thought you'd only b-be here after dinner."

Kaecilius raised an eyebrow at his apprentice. "Harry, it is after dinner. You must have been in a trance for quite some time. Why did you go after a memory by yourself?"

The man didn't sound upset, merely curious, and Harry answered, "I don't want to just rely on you, sir. I c-can handle these memories too."

Kaecilius nodded slowly, but replied, "Very well. I'm only concerned that your decision was influenced by your emotions. Particularly, by emotions that are still under attack in your mindscape. Are you sure you can handle the memories?"

Harry didn't feel especially sure of anything at the moment, but he nodded anyway. Kaecilius sighed and said, "As you wish. Now, tell me about the memory you just saw. What did you learn?"

Harry haltingly explained what he'd seen, and Kaecilius' face darkened with each word. When Harry finished his tale, his master began pacing the room, looking thunderous. After a few minutes where the man mumbled to himself, he turned and looked back at Harry. "Can you remember any of the incantation?" he asked.

Harry grimaced at the thought, but did his best to recreate the sounds he'd heard Tom use, complete with the hacking noises that punctuated it. He'd gotten no more than a few syllables in before Kaecilius cried out, "STOP! STOP NOW!"

Startled, the boy obeyed. Kaecilius looked like he'd grabbed onto a live wire, his eyes wide and horrified. "What's wrong?" Harry inquired.

"What's wrong is that wizards are imbeciles!" his master exclaimed. "Some pea-brained, wooden-headed, cretin of a wizard decided to create an incantation in Cthuvian!"

"Ka-thoo-vian?" Harry wondered, tripping over the word.

Kaecilius waved his hand impatiently and started babbling, "Yes, Cthuvian, R'lyehian, whatever you choose to call it! A language that no human should EVER indulge in, lest you wake an Old One or worse! Listen, you understand that we sorcerers draw upon the energy of other dimensions, sometimes on individuals who are trapped in those dimensions? Well, if you are enough of a numbskull to use a Cthuvian incantation, you are most likely calling on a god-like individual who still resides in THIS dimension. Usually they are in a state of dormancy that is near enough to death, making them less of a threat, but calling on them, drawing on their power? They might decide to wake up so they can get a closer look at you, and destroy most of civilization in the process!"

Kaecilius had never looked so openly terrified, breathing hard and grasping at his own arms. Harry stared back, wide-eyed until the man seemed to get a hold of himself and took a deep breath. "I don't care what the incantation means literally," Kaecilius finally said. "You should put the sounds you heard from your mind forever. What I want to know instead is what the incantation did. Every memory so far has had some relation to movement, to escaping. What did this spell do to Tom Riddle?"

Harry shrugged. "Nothing that I could t-tell. It hurt. I felt my chest burning, and the diary was like fire for a bit, but then it didn't do anything that I c-could see."

"Could you hear his thoughts? What was he thinking as he performed the magic?"

Harry thought hard before he finally remembered fully. "He called it his escape f-from death. Whatever that means."

Kaecilius cursed vividly. "Wonderful," he groused. "A Chthuvian spell that grants some form of immortality, or perhaps invincibility. Just what we need him to possess."

"But we destroyed the diary," Harry interjected. "So maybe he's m-mortal now, or… vincible, I g-guess."

Kaecilius chuckled and nodded. "Perhaps. Provided he made just one of them, you may be right, but Voldemort doesn't seem like one to rely on one safeguard. I'll be having a serious conversation with Dumbledore about this."

Harry nodded, then remembered the reason he had come up to the room in the first place. "Sir, one of the t-twins said he saw Andros during Quidditch practice. I couldn't f-find him, but there was a pawprint near the forest. Do you think…?"

Kaecilius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's possible," he answered. "He certainly does seem magical, being able to slip out of the Sanctum without a trace. Perhaps he followed you here somehow. But then why would he not come when you searched for him?"

That was the part that had bothered Harry too. "I don't know. Maybe he thinks I'd send him b-back with you. I told him before that I c-couldn't keep him here because of the rules."

His master shook his head. "I'm not sure. We'll keep an eye out for him. For now, I want to view the memory you just saw, and then we should destroy it. I don't want even you to know that incantation."

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October 31

Harry had been dreading Halloween for weeks. So far in his time at Hogwarts, a troll had been let in and attacked Hermione, then Tom Riddle had first struck during the feast the following year. He felt sure something disastrous would happen, but as the day progressed, the atmosphere in the castle remained calm and undisturbed.

His friends had gone to Hogsmeade, and though he considered using the secret tunnel the twins had shown him, Snape had seemed to patrol the area all day. He wasn't willing to be caught by the greasy Potions master flouting the rules so openly, so he'd just gone back to the common room to wait until his friends returned.

About an hour before the feast, Harry and his friends had been relaxing in the common room when Neville stood up and stretched. "I need to go talk to Professor Sprout about our homework," he said as reached his arms above his head. "I'll see you at dinner, yeah?"

The other third-years nodded and waved to him as he exited through the portrait, then returned to their games and conversations.

Fifteen minutes later, Neville came back through the entrance behind a couple of first-years, appearing a bit out of breath. Ron looked up in confusion. "Oi, Neville!" he called.

Neville didn't seem to hear him for a minute, then jerked and looked over. "Yeah, mate?"

Ron chuckled. "What did Sprout say? Do we have to write six inches or twelve?"

Neville looked a bit lost, but replied. "Er… not sure. I… er… I forgot the parchment up in the dormitory. Not sure where I put it there. Just go on to the feast without me, all right?"

Harry stood up. "Did you want some help looking?"

Neville grinned confidently, in a way Harry had never seen him do. "Nah, I'll find it. See you in the Great Hall!"

He hurried through the common room and went up the stairs. Harry turned back to his friends, who shrugged. "We may as well go down now," Hermione said. "That way we can save him a seat before the crowd arrives."

Ron nodded eagerly. "I want to see how they decorated it this year. Last year they went a bit too pumpkin crazy for me."

The three got up and made their way down, discussing their favorite designs in previous feasts. They arrived in the Great Hall and Ron groaned. "Spiderwebs! What were they thinking?"

The room was indeed covered in giant webs, looking as if Aragog and his children had moved into the rafters. Ron may not have been present during their jaunt into the Forbidden Forest the previous year, but Neville had described it to him in excruciating detail. He claimed it was funny to watch Ron squirm.

As the trio walked down the aisle to their table, they saw to their surprise that Neville was already waiting for them, waving enthusiastically. "Over here!" he called, somewhat unnecessarily since all three students had already seen him.

As they got closer, he said, "How about these decorations? I keep expecting to see one of those nasty spiders crawling down the wall!"

Hermione asked what they were all thinking. "Neville, how did you beat us down here?"

He gave her a questioning look. "Beat you down? I left early, remember? Sprout said our homework is twelve inches."

Harry shook his head forcefully. "Neville, we just saw you go up to the dormitories. You said you were getting some parchment."

Now Neville slowly shook his head back. "I've been waiting for you here for the last five minutes. I never went back up."

The friends exchanged mystified stares until Hermione quietly gasped, "Polyjuice."

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The foursome ran out into the hallway, searching for a teacher. Within seconds, they saw McGonagall strolling toward them, and they ran to meet her. "Professor," Hermione exclaimed. "Someone is in the Gryffindor common room disguised as Neville. They went up to the boy's dormitory."

The elderly professor looked sternly at each student, as if assessing whether they were serious. "Is this some type of juvenile prank?" she asked skeptically.

Harry kept from rolling his eyes with difficulty. "Professor, have we ever p-played a prank? They looked like Neville, sounded like Neville, but he'd b-been down in the Great Hall for awhile!"

She seemed to glare at him for a moment before settling down. "Very well. I will see about this. Stay here."

She turned and hurried away, managing an impressive pace for someone her age. Once she was out of sight, Ron said, "If we go through the hidden passage behind the persian rug on the second floor, we can get there almost as fast as her."

The four Gryffindors immediately took off up the stairs.

It was as they rushed up one of the fourth floor hallways that Harry happened to look down a side corridor and saw a black and furry form at the far end. It was too far away to make out clearly, but Harry still shouted out, his heart full of hope, "Andros?!"

The animal seemed to pause, then sped up, turning down a dark hall out of sight. Harry ran after it, heart in his throat as his friends struggled to keep up. He turned down the passage where the beast had vanished, but after only a few feet he stopped. It was a dead end. As the students came to a halt, they looked around, trying to find a concealed exit or magic door, but having no luck. Behind Harry, Neville said, "What's this?"

Harry spun around and saw the boy pick up a ragged piece of parchment. He handed it to Harry, who turned it over, finding nothing on either side. His heart sank for an instant, but then he remembered what the twins had told him. He took out his wand, tapped it on the parchment, and whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no g-good."

From the tip of his wand, lines of ink spread across the surface, swirling in beautiful designs before coalescing into words:  
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs  
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers  
are proud to present  
the Marauder's Map

Harry grinned as the familiar map spread across the page, but the loud voice of McGonagall echoed through the hallway. "All students and staff, please make your way to the Great Hall. The Halloween feast is about to begin."

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They made their way back to the first floor, feeling nervous, and went back into the Great Hall. The atmosphere in the room was noticeably changed. While the students seemed to be obliviously enjoying their meal, the teachers in the front of the room were all tense. McGonagall was still absent from the head table. Not long after Harry and his friends had taken their seats, Dumbledore stood and announced, "Students, I hope you enjoy tonight's Halloween feast. If I could have the prefects, Head Boy, and Head Girl come to the front table for a moment, we will begin."

The food appeared on the house tables as the students he requested got up and made their way forward. Harry saw Percy looking bewildered as he came up to the professors. Dumbledore seemed to be speaking quietly so the rest of the hall wouldn't hear him, but everyone could see the older students straightening up and looking around the hall, alarmed. After the headmaster finished his instructions, he and the other professors quickly walked down the aisle and left the hall, setting off a storm of whispering. The prefects, meanwhile, began patrolling the tables, while Percy and the Head Girl stood guard at the large main doors to the Great Hall.

Harry gave his friends a dark look. "Looks like we were right. I wonder who was d-disguised as Neville."

Neville gave him a disbelieving look. "Who else? It must have been Sirius Black!" he whispered.

Hermione huffed. "That makes no sense. What would Sirius Black want in your dormitory?"

Ron rolled his eyes as he dug into his food. "Honestly, Hermione. For someone so bright, you can be thick sometimes. He obviously was lying in wait for Harry to come up to the room alone! Then he could attack him with no witnesses."

Harry gulped. Ron seemed to realize what he'd said, and quietly muttered, "Sorry, mate. It makes sense."

Hermione growled at the redhead. "No, it doesn't make sense, Ron. Harry offered to come up and help him look for the parchment. If Black wanted Harry all alone, he would have taken Harry up on his offer. He didn't."

Ron stared at her, mouth hanging open. He hadn't seemed to realize that. Hermione sighed and said, "Close your mouth, Ron. I've no desire to see your dinner."

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After about twenty minutes, students began standing up to leave the hall, but the patrolling prefects hurried over to each student and whispered to them. Each time, the student would sit back down and start talking urgently to their friends.

As if summoned by the rapidly growing sound of gossip, Dumbledore strode into the hall and took his place at the head table. "Students," he said officiously. "Thank you for your patience this evening. I'm afraid that for the time being, you must remain in the Great Hall while we are conducting a search of the castle. Should it become necessary, sleeping arrangements will be provided to you here. Please, enjoy the rest of the feast."

Dumbledore left the table and began to head back to the doors, and Harry desperately wanted to get his attention. Thinking fast, he remembered something the headmaster had done at the opening feast last year. _Professor,_ he thought, focusing his mind only on Dumbledore. _Was it Sirius Black? What did he want in our dormitory?_

The headmaster gave no outward sign of hearing him, but Harry heard his aged voice respond mentally. _I'm not sure, Mr. Potter. Not to worry, though. The house elves will clean up the mess, and we shall conduct a search with you and your yearmates in the morning to see if anything is missing._

As the man was saying this, he continued his long strides to the door. Harry wanted to ask what mess he meant, but the professor had already left the hall.

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 **A/N: A little crossover with the Lovecraft mythos, just for fun. We will NOT be going further than this. Harry won't be summoning Cthulu in this story. JK has gone on record as saying the procedure for creating a horcrux is absolutely horrifying, and that it made her editor want to throw up. I didn't want to make my readers upchuck, so I went in a different direction. In my story, the procedure is horrifying because it runs the risk of waking/angering the old ones.**

 **There's going to be a week or two before I update again. Life is crazy hectic right now as I am, among other things, buying a house. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review to tell me what you thought!**


	19. Chapter 19: Spells and Spectres

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. I feel like you should understand this by now.**

 **A/N: Beta read, as always, by the radical Nyx the Author. Thanks!  
It's been quite awhile since my last chapter! Sorry for the delay, but I'm still incredibly busy. I tried to make up for it by giving you an extra long chapter with lots of excitement and quite a few twists on canon. By the end of this chapter, you should have enough clues to piece some of it together. I hope you enjoy the mystery!**

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Chapter 19: Spells and Spectres

November 1

Harry looked around his dorm room in confusion. Dumbledore and McGonagall had led him and his yearmates up to their living quarters and admonished, "Look for anything out of place."

The problem was that everything was out of place. It was clear that the house elves had done their best to clean up whatever mess Sirius Black had left behind, but every possession owned by Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean was scattered around the room. Many similar items, like clothes and school books, were placed in neat piles, but everything else was laid out in no particular order.

Ron turned back to the professors and asked in disbelief, "How are we supposed to figure out what's missing in this?"

McGonagall puffed up like an angry cat at his tone and snapped back, "Place your belongings on your bed, Mister Weasley. If you can't find something at all, it may give us a clue as to why Sirius Black broke in here."

Harry sighed as he eyed the mess of his room. None of the boys were very neat in the first place, and he wasn't looking forward to trying to reorganize while two of his professors watched and analyzed everything. He instead asked the question that had been laying heavy on his mind since last night. "Professor, how do we know it was Black?"

She sighed tiredly and gave him a sympathetic nod. "We know thanks to the warning you and your friends gave me last night. I came up here straight away and found, as you had said, someone who appeared to be Mr. Longbottom. He was tearing apart the room in a most efficient manner, and all of your trunks and belongings were scattered as if a whirlwind had struck. When I opened the door, he gave me a grin that I've only seen on one face in all my years here, then jumped out the window. Mark my words, only Sirius Black would be as foolhardy and reckless."

Harry was startled by the look on McGonagall's face as she related her tale. It wasn't anger or fear he saw, but wistfulness and something else he couldn't identify. He asked, "Did you see what happened to him? Wouldn't a jump from that height kill him?"

"If he landed on the ground, perhaps," Dumbledore answered. "But he likely landed on a roof below us. Even so, that strong an impact should have broken some bones, which is why we tried to search the castle last night. We had hoped we might find him hobbling down a hallway and be somewhat easier to capture, but it wasn't to be. Now, if you could indulge our curiosity…?"

All five boys groaned and began searching the room.

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After a thorough search, all the Gryffindors had piled their belongings on their beds. None of them could recall being unable to find something of theirs, which Dumbledore acknowledged with a weary sigh. "It seemed unlikely," he said once the boys were done. "I'm relieved that you could find everything, at least. We also have your familiars and pets waiting in small pens downstairs. I believe there was a toad and a large cat?"

Neville got up to retrieve Trevor, but the rest of the boys exchanged perplexed looks. Ron spoke up, "None of us owns a cat, sir. And what about Scabbers, my rat?"

Dumbledore seemed taken aback. "A rat? I recall your older brother Percival owning one, but we didn't find one here."

Ron's face heated at the reminder of his hand-me-down possessions, but insisted, "Yes, sir. Percy gave me Scabbers my first year."

Neville burst back into the room, his face ashen. "Ron," he said. "The cat in the pen is Crookshanks."

All the boys in the dorm were very familiar with the argument between Ron and Hermione concerning her cat and his rat, and they braced for the explosion. Ron did not disappoint. "HERMIONE!" he shouted furiously, running out of the room and down the stairs.

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November 4

 _Very good, Harry. Bring in more of them. Try to gather every positive emotion and memory you can_.

Kaecilius had a gentle smile on his face, proud of his student's progress as Harry concentrated. They floated in Harry's mindscape, surrounded by the flickering images and ribbons that flitted merrily through the air. Harry had been hard at work over the past two months, and nearly every memory and emotion that had escaped from Voldemort's shard had been viewed, then destroyed or forced back into its containment. Now they concentrated on offense, trying to ensure that another encounter with a dementor wouldn't force them to repeat the entire process again.

Harry was intensely focused on happy and pleasant emotions, and in the open cavern of his mind a multitude of the emotions and memories came flocking toward him and Kaecilius. Harry looked around himself and gave a cursory glance to the memories that now surrounded them like a bubble. Nearly without exception, the flickering images were recollections of his time since starting Hogwarts. Positive experiences had been thin on the ground with the Dursleys.

Kaecilius hummed reflectively. He seemed to have noticed the same thing. _Perhaps we should spare a day or two next summer so you can enjoy yourself_ , he said. _How would you like to sightsee in London_?

Harry grinned. Kaecilius often engaged him in conversation that seemed irrelevant while they were training. The man claimed that it was important for Harry to be able to multitask, and having him carry on a discussion while utilizing magical spells was good practice. _I'd like that, sir_ , Harry responded, still focused on keeping the happy emotions and memories in place. _I've always wanted to see Piccadilly Circus. But don't I need to focus on my training like last summer?_

Kaecilius chuckled. _Harry, I can say with some certainty that you are one of the most diligent students I've encountered. Your friend Miss Granger may be more academically inclined, but I've been told by Professor Dumbledore that your grades have improved by leaps and bounds over the past year. I think we can afford to give you a day or two off from training over the summer._

Harry knew that if they were in the real world, he'd be blushing at his teacher's praise. After a moment, he could feel that there were no new memories coming toward them, and the surrounding throng was locked into the sphere shape around them. _Thank you, sir,_ he said. _Now what do we do next?_

Kaecilius looked around them and gave an approving nod. _You tell me,_ he answered. _Remind me from your reading how the Patronus spell works._

Here was another method Kaecilius used to help Harry in his training. His master expected him to have soaked up any information he read in a textbook, then render it into his own words. This was a skill that Hermione still hadn't managed to acquire, as she always recited what she'd read word for word. Harry mulled over what he'd read in the book his master had gotten him, then answered. _The Patronus is a charm that repels dementors and lethifolds. It does this by summoning the positive feelings of the witch or wizard, and shaping them into a corporeal form. When a beginner tries this spell, it appears as a white mist that does very little to protect its user. The more proficient caster will find their Patronus takes the shape of an animal. The animal is a reflection on the personality of its user, and may change based on the memories chosen to power the spell or significant life events, like the birth of a child or the death of a loved one_.

Kaecilius gave a small smile, showing his approval of Harry's summary. _Very well. Knowing all this, what do you plan on doing with these memories_?

Harry cast his arm out to wave at the flickering images. _I thought about how we found the memory in Dobby's mind, using the emotions to guide us. I'm guessing that I could make the spell work even easier if I have lots of positive emotions and similar memories surrounding me._

Kaecilius gave one slow nod as he considered the idea. _Logical. Which memory are you going to use?_

Harry chuckled weakly. _I don't know. Maybe when I first flew on a broom?_

As he said it, one memory drifted closer to the duo, floating within easy reach. Kaecilius gestured for Harry to go ahead, and the boy focused on the memory, reveling in the feeling of freedom and speed, of unhindered flight through a beautiful blue sky. The memory seemed to expand around Harry, wrapping around him happily and swirling over his arms and shoulders. When Harry felt completely immersed in the joy and excitement, he imagined these emotions taking a form and shouted, _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_

The memory shivered, stopping its sinuous movement around his body. It briefly flickered with light and a slight warmth emanated from it, but within seconds it went back to normal. Harry glanced over at Kaecilius, who had been silently watching his attempt, and the man shrugged lightly. _First attempt, Harry,_ he said. _Draw in the emotions around you, as you had suggested. Your memories move like cloth, so imagine this memory drawing to you like an item of clothing._

 _Like a cloak?_ Harry asked, already considering how it might feel to be wrapped up protectively in a happy memory. He refocused on the memory of riding a broom, then pulled all the tiny puffs of smoke that represented emotion closer as well. As he pulled and forced the ethereal wisps to obey him, his chosen memory reshaped itself, molding around his arms and torso to surround his upper body. He reveled in the feeling of unbridled joy, and this time he had a broad smile on his face as he let the spell loose. _Expecto Patronum!_

The smoke seemed to flow through his body and push at the memory cloak, making it billow up behind his back as it glowed brightly. The warmth that had previously dissipated within moments now seemed to suffuse his whole body, making him feel like he was sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, but the heat was never unpleasant.

Harry looked at Kaecilius, who now wore a satisfied smile. _What do you think?_ Harry asked, still basking in the feelings that roiled through his being.

 _It appears to have worked,_ the man said happily. _I can feel the positive emotions over here as well. Now, do you recall why we are performing this spell in your mind first?_

Harry nodded, and looked back at the remnant of Voldemort's thoughts behind them. The boy and his master had worked hard to patch up the deep cracks caused by the dementor, and they were mostly healed over now. However, it was easy to see that another encounter with one of the creatures would split the fissures wide open. With a thought, they both drifted closer to the remnant, Harry dragging the emotions and memories with them.

 _How do I do it?_ Harry asked.

 _We are cocooned in these memories now,_ Kaecilius answered. _Make them surround this foul abomination instead. Coat it with joy and happiness and contentedness. Ensure no trace of the dementor's influence can reach it._

Harry nodded and obeyed. His hands, still glowing a brilliant white, manipulated the emotions and memories easily now. The smoke and ribbons flew down to the chunk of Voldemort's thoughts and covered every inch of it, melding to the surface like papier-mâché. The cracks that covered its surface were mostly plastered over, leaving tiny slits so that Harry and Kaecilius could enter the remnant in the future if they wished. Within half a minute, the black and tarry surface of the malevolent mass was completely obscured.

 _Good,_ Kaecilius murmured. _Now, the spell._

Harry felt like he was floating on air under the effects of the Patronus spell, and didn't give a second thought as he obeyed. He reached out his arms to the remnant and shouted a third time, _Expecto Patronum!_

The silvery mist that covered his body flew from his fingertips and began to move over his memories and emotions, transferring the heat and glow onto the surface of the foreign invader. It spread slowly, moving like a tidal wave across the ocean. Where it met cracks, the light stopped and searched for another path, changing directions in sudden zig-zags.

By the time half of the remnant was covered in light, Harry began to feel the drain on his power. His memory of riding the broom became fuzzy, as if he couldn't remember what color the sky was, or how wind normally felt. He tried to refocus on the feeling of freedom, but within seconds the memory would reset to the feeling of his feet on the ground, solidly contained by gravity. The light leaving his fingers began to flicker and slow.

Kaecilius quickly moved closer. _End the spell, Harry. Now. End it!_

Harry tried to cut off the flow of power and light, but now it felt as if the spell was out of his control. His arms were aching and trembling, but still the magic slipped out of his fingers. Kaecilius looked frightened as he reached out and grabbed Harry's hands, pulling them away from the fragment. Immediately, the light faded from his fingers.

Harry gratefully dropped his hands and his body lost all cohesion. The amount of concentration he needed to keep a human form while in his mind was minimal, but now he lacked even that. He drifted lazily in his original form, that of a green glowing dot surrounded by a deep red glow.

Kaecilius sighed, looking relieved. _Well done, Harry. It seems that memory wasn't strong enough to power a spell of that magnitude, but it built a foundation. Look._

Harry no longer had 'eyes', but he turned his awareness back to the remnant of Voldemort's memories. As he watched, the brilliant glow began to weaken, but it continued to spread across the surface. After a few minutes, the entire surface was lit with a faint light, like an ember in a dying fire.

 _Will it help?_ Harry asked weakly. He could see the memory of riding a broom drifting away from him, looking tattered and wounded.

Kaecilius reached for it and smoothed it out. His hand glowed faintly as he ran them over the memory, which stretched toward the light and seemed to ripple where they touched. In seconds, it jumped from Kaecilius' arms and shimmied away, seemingly good as new.

 _I believe it will help_ , he responded. _If you, heaven forbid, meet another dementor, Voldemort's memories should at least be contained. Don't seek one out to test it._

Harry laughed as his master drew near and pulled them both from the boy's mind.

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November 6

The rain was blinding, and the wind howled like a mad monster in his ears. Harry was high above the quidditch pitch searching desperately for the snitch, but he could barely see the players below him, much less a tiny winged ball.

Wood had called for a time-out only moments before, so Harry knew that Gryffindor was still in the lead over Slytherin, but it was a close thing. His seeker counterpart was Draco, and this year's match felt friendlier than it had before, with Draco nodding to him whenever they got close in the air. He could tell, though, that the blonde would not go easy on him on account of their 'friendship', and wanted to win just as much as Harry did.

As Harry passed the stands, he caught a glimpse of his friends sitting with the Gryffindors. Ron and Hermione had been arguing non stop since Halloween about whether Crookshanks had actually eaten Scabbers, but they put aside their hostility to cheer Harry on. Neville had painted his face red and gold, but the rain made the colors run down his cheeks messily. He gave a smile and wave to them as he passed, then refocused on his search.

It was as he made another pass across the pitch that his eye caught something that stood out. At ground level, he could just make out a dark smudge against the green grass near the edge of the stadium. His heart leapt as he got closer to the ground and he felt sure that he could see the black fur of Andros plastered against the dog's skin. As soon as they locked eyes, though, Andros jerked and turned away.

 _Andros, no!_ Harry yelled, desperately dropping low and skimming the grass. _You don't have to leave!_

The dog was nearly out of sight behind a bleacher, and Harry made one more last-ditch effort to reach him. He'd never tried to connect his mind to his dog before, but now he reached out his consciousness and shouted, _Come back!_

For a moment, Harry felt something respond. Unlike the vague and untranslatable flashes of emotion he received from Hedwig, the emotion that pushed back into his mind from Andros was unmistakable. Regret, a deep and overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over him, making Harry rear back on his broom in shock.

As Harry tried to recover himself, he noticed something odd. The wind still stung his cheeks, but the sound of it didn't seem to reach his ears. It was as if he'd suddenly gone deaf, and he looked around in confusion.

Then a horrible wave of cold swept over him, and Harry gasped in terror. He looked up and saw a huge swarm of dementors crowding into the stadium, sweeping through the players and stands. Several broke away from the pack and flew at him, and Harry unconsciously drew back. As they approached him, he could hear someone, a woman, screaming in his head. He could tell it was a faint memory, but whether it was his or Voldemort's was difficult to say. _Not Harry,_ she screamed. _Please, not Harry!_

Harry didn't realize it, but the mental tendril that he'd sent towards Andros was still flung out in front of him, and within seconds it encountered the closest dementor. The woman's voice was abruptly extinguished, replaced by a violent screeching. Harry clapped his hands to his ears, trying to silence the deafening sound like a thousand nails on a chalkboard, but it had no effect.

By grabbing his head, he lost his balance on the broom, falling softly the few feet to the ground. He curled his body up in agony as the shrieking noise grew, the dementors gathering around him and circling like vultures. He could feel the mental connection to the dementors was the source of the sound, and tried to pull it back within himself, but the creatures pulled right back, keeping a tight hold on his mind and screaming ever louder. _LET ME GO!_ , Harry shouted. _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

Harry could feel the dementors' glee at their ability to torture him, and even as his body shuddered at the mental assault, he felt one of the monsters get close enough to trail their cold fingers across his face.

Harry was sure this was the end, that there was no escape. He couldn't muster the strength to pull his wand out, and he knew in his weakened state that he would never be able to summon anything with the Patronus spell. His master was far away, his friends were under attack as well, and this was how he would die.

Everything went black.

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November 7

As soon as Harry regained awareness, he knew without opening his eyes that he was in the hospital wing. It seemed that Madam Pomfrey always put him in the same bed, and his repeated visits meant he could easily identify the lumps the mattress had.

He groaned, and immediately a cacophony of voices began to shout, overlapping each other in their desire to check on Harry's well-being. After a few seconds of garbled noise, Harry heard Kaecilius' voice crack like a whip. "That is ENOUGH," he bellowed, and the other sounds cut off.

"My apprentice needs his rest and privacy. You know he will live now. All of you, back out to the Great Hall. Breakfast will be ending soon."

Harry cracked his eyes open and tried to give a smile to his friends, but judging by their reactions to it, it was more of a pained grimace. They quietly murmured their well-wishes, then filed out the door until only Kaecilius and Madam Pomfrey remained. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was so dry that he only managed to cough weakly. The matron immediately approached Harry and began forcing potions down his throat, each one making him choke or gag on the horrible taste.

As she did this, Kaecilius began to speak. "This school seems more dangerous than any other place you could be, Harry. Were it not for your ministry's laws on magical education, I would petition Dumbledore to let me remove you."

Harry grimaced as Madam Pomfrey finally finished the round of potions and handed him a glass of cool water, which he drank gratefully. Kaecilius continued, "I took the liberty of examining your mind while you were unconscious overnight. The Patronus spell held up remarkably well, especially considering your close proximity to at least three dementors. Do you know why you passed out, since I know there weren't any memories released?"

The boy shuddered as he recalled what had happened on the pitch, and haltingly explained the order of events after Andros had reappeared. Both adults looked grim as Harry finished his story, and the hospital matron hurried back to her office, muttering about treatments for mental health. Kaecilius meanwhile had a stony expression Harry recognized from the previous year, right before the man had gotten into a brawl with Dumbledore in the mirror dimension.

"Clearly we need to train you on the Patronus spell in the real world as well," he said. "I assumed the dementors would respect the borders of the school, but it appears the emotions of your classmates as they watched the game was too tempting a target. Dumbledore is, at least, taking this very seriously. I'm told his Patronus was magnificent as it chased the beasts away."

This interested Harry, as he wasn't aware the headmaster knew the spell. In hindsight, he shouldn't have been surprised. "What animal was it?" he asked.

Kaecilius lifted his shoulders slightly. "Your friends weren't sure. Some type of bird, they believe. If I had to guess, it's something flashy and magical, like a phoenix."

Harry sighed in exhaustion, then remembered something. "Sir, d-did they get my broom back?"

His master snorted in amusement. "You have interesting priorities, but they did. Mister Malfoy carried it back to your other friends, right after he caught the snitch."

The boy collapsed into his pillows with relief, and the tiredness kept him from rising again. Kaecilius seemed to notice, as he said, "You need to sleep, Harry. Recover your strength, and we'll start working on making your Patronus once you're up to it. Perhaps you'll have something impressive. I'd like to see any dementors try to screech at you with an enormous lion protecting you."

Harry gave a tiny smile and quickly slipped into oblivion, a menagerie of glowing creatures parading in his dreams.

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December 18

The past month had been exhausting for Harry. Lessons continued to increase in difficulty, especially in Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had been quite serious about her desire for Harry to exceed in her classes, and had been pushing him harder than even Hermione. When the rest of the class had to turn mice into matchboxes, McGonagall expected that his matchbox would be filled with working matches. Harry had a small advantage over his classmates, because through his training in the mental realm his ability to imagine and focus was practically peerless. Even so, he struggled to perform to his teacher's exacting standards.

Draco was also making a concerted effort to spend more time with Harry and his friends, but Harry couldn't get too upset about it. Regardless of the Slytherin's motivations, Malfoy had still recovered his broom when he didn't have to. Sometimes when Harry and Draco would be having one of their conversations, which ranged in topic from homework assignments to muggle movies, it seemed like Draco was actually enjoying their discussion. The subtle smiles he gave seemed genuine, and Harry wondered just how much Draco was acting.

Finally, Kaecilius was nearly as demanding as McGonagall in their training sessions, pushing Harry to find the perfect memory for the Patronus spell. Each happy recollection he chose would easily form a silvery mist from his wand, but that was the extent of it. Harry knew that if he were facing a dementor again, the mist would protect him for only a few seconds, and that was unacceptable. For some reason, though, he couldn't figure out what memory would do the trick.

Harry was simply burnt out as Christmas approached, and he needed a break from his strenuous responsibilities. The rest of his friends had gone off to Hogsmeade, and he intended to join them, permission slip or no. This is what led him to the statue of the humpbacked witch, Marauder's Map in hand. He peered at his dot on the map, next to which a tiny word bubble emerged reading, "Dissendium". Harry took out his wand and tapped it on the statue, repeating the word, and it slid away from the wall, revealing a dark passageway. Harry whispered "Mischief managed," and slid into the darkness as the map went blank.

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This was not what Harry had envisioned his first visit to the Three Broomsticks would be like. He was crouched under a table between the legs of Ron and Hermione, while only a few feet away McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick, Minister Fudge, and Madam Rosmerta were all seated and chatting casually. Hermione had moved a nearby Christmas tree between their tables, but all it would take was one of those adults to see him for Harry to be in a world of trouble.

He considering pulling out his invisibility cloak and stealing out of the tavern, but then he heard what Fudge was discussing: the hunt for Sirius Black. He inched forward as much as he dared and strained his ears, desperate to hear anything new.

They discussed the relationship between Black and Harry's father, and how terrible the betrayal was considering their fast friendship. While Harry felt a rush of indignation fill him, this was still old information thanks to Draco's summer letter. Harry also made a mental note to ask Kaecilius about the Fidelius charm, possibly incorporating it on the Sanctum if possible. The story of Peter Pettigrew's attempt to avenge the Potters was interesting and sad, but not terribly relevant to Harry's life now. It was only after the adults had come to a thoughtful silence that Madam Rosmerta asked a nervous question.

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?" she asked.

Fudge gave a frustrated sigh. "That's just it, Rosie," he replied. "Before his escape, I would have been able to give you a definitive answer. I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban, near the end of June. I passed his cell, and what I saw absolutely terrified me. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark. There's no sense left in them from constant dementor exposure. But Black was… manic. He was flailing like a demon around his cell, banging his arms and legs and even his head against the walls! What a racket he made! I made the mistake of coming too close to the bars, and before I could blink he was reaching through them and swiped at me."

His audience gasped. "What happened?" Flitwick asked, his voice somehow squeakier than normal.

Fudge took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead, clearly shaken just thinking about the events. "Well, I was lucky, to be sure. He didn't quite reach me, though he did manage to grab my copy of the Prophet, which I'd rolled up in my jacket pocket before I arrived at Azkaban. Oh, he pulled it apart in seconds, with pages littering his cell as he just gibbered nonsense."

Harry heard McGonagall huff. "I don't understand, Minister," she protested. "I saw Black on Halloween, and spoke with several students who interacted with him while he was disguised with Polyjuice potion. He seemed completely sane, and even clever!"

The sound of Fudge smacking his hand on the table rang through the air. "Exactly!" he exclaimed. "And I spoke with the guards after he escaped. For years before my visit, Black acted just like the other prisoners, curled up in the corner and closed off to the world. His behavior only changed recently, and then he managed to vanish without a trace! We still don't know how he got out of his cell. As far as we can tell, his cell door was never opened after his last cell check."

The teachers muttered to each other about possible dark magic, then they all paid for their drinks and got up, discussing other matters. Harry focused on Hermione and Ron, saying, _I'm going to head back to the school. I'll see you later._

Hermione hissed back, "Harry, we need to talk about this-"

 _And we will,_ he responded quickly, hoping the adults hadn't heard her say his name. _But I don't want to be overheard here. I'll meet you back in the common room._

Before she could say anything more, Harry put on his cloak and snuck out of the tavern, struggling not to bump into anyone in the crowded room. Once he'd gotten out onto the cobblestone street, he sighed. He didn't feel like heading back to the tunnel in Honeyduke's yet. Hoping to clear his head, he took off in the other direction. Within a few minutes, he found himself staring up at the ruined facade of the Shrieking Shack. His friends had told him it was a bit of a disappointment, and he had to agree. Just because it was 'the most haunted building in Britain', that didn't make it exciting to visit.

He stood leaning on the fence surrounding the property, considering the things he'd heard. The more he heard about Sirius Black, the more he was confused. A man who was supposed to be his father's best friend, yet he'd betrayed them to Voldemort for… what? What kind of reward was he promised? When his master had been destroyed by Harry, why hadn't Black insisted on taking Harry from Hagrid? And if the man was after Harry now, why hadn't he asked Harry to accompany him up to the dormitory?

His mind awhirl, he barely noticed his surroundings as he brooded. That was why it took several moments before he noticed that the air temperature, already bitingly cold with the wind and snow, was dropping rapidly. It was only when he began to hear the familiar woman screaming in his mind that he stumbled back from the fence and looked around in panic. Emerging from the woods was a single dementor, slowly floating towards him with one rotting arm outstretched.

Harry pushed down his fear and panic at the sight. Since the quidditch match over a month previous, he had been training hard with Kaecilius for exactly this situation. He may not have a fully corporeal Patronus, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Harry pulled out his wand, meditating on the smiling faces of his friends, and shouted confidently, "Expecto Patronum!"

A thick silver mist shot out of his wand, flowing quickly around the dementor's hood. The creature waved its arms as if warding off an insect, and began to retreat a few feet. This was exactly what Harry had hoped for, and he waved his arms in a complicated pattern. Immediately, the air behind the dementor seemed to shatter into the patterns of broken glass, and the monster stumbled back into the surface, disappearing into the mirror dimension. The screaming in Harry's head cut off instantly, and he felt a cynical satisfaction. The plan had worked perfectly, but he knew he couldn't simply close the entrance and leave the spectre to its own devices. The Ministry would notice its absence eventually, and he needed to figure out why a dementor was all on its own in the first place.

Quickly, he darted into the mirror dimension and rolled across the ground, hoping to be unnoticed. He saw the dementor only a few feet away, and he focused his will on the landscape. The ground, covered with powdery snow, shot into the air in the shape of giant flowing arms. They flowed like water around the dementor's tattered robes and wrapped tightly over its arms, constricting its movement in a brown and spotted white prison. The dementor screeched and struggled, but soon the only portion of its body that could be seen was its cloaked head. It shook its neck furiously as Harry approached as much as he dared. The screaming woman was back in his head, making it difficult to concentrate fully, but he knew his time was short.

He pushed forth a tiny mental tendril toward the dementor, wary of connecting to the creature as he had during the quidditch match. He could tell when he met the dementor's mind easily enough, as the woman's voice was again drowned out by piercing shrieks, but now the intensity of those sounds was under his control. Wincing, he asked, _What do you want?_

Abruptly, the screech stopped. Harry imagined this was what surprise looked like on a shadowy creature with no face. The hooded spectre tilted its head at him, considering. Then, ever so slowly, the dementor spoke. The screaming sound returned, but beneath it was an deep and unearthly growling voice that Harry could barely make out. It was like trying to hear a single faraway bullfrog while a cicada trilled directly into his ear. **Wizarrrrrrd-borrrrrrn** , it said.

Shocked at the verbal response, Harry nearly lost control of the earth surrounding the dementor. The brown cage wavered briefly before he tightened his mental grip on it again, and he replied, _That's me. Now tell me what you want._

 **Sorrrrcerrrrorrrr** , it said. **Cleverrrrrr speakerrrrr.**

Harry felt like his head was going to split from listening to the dementor speaking. In his haste to get this encounter over with, he tightened the squeezing earth around the creature and repeated, _Tell me what you WANT._

Instead of shrieking or protesting his rough treatment, the dementor laughed. It was a rough sound, like a saw being pulled through a dead tree trunk, but Harry could feel its amusement through their link. **We want frrrrrreedom. Frrrrreedom from slaverrrrry.**

Harry considered the monster before him. _You want to be free from the Ministry? To come and go as you choose? I'm not going to help you with that._

It shook its head furiously. **No, no,** the dementor said. **We help humans guarrrrrd prrrrrrison, we get tasty soul enerrrrrgy. We like this.**

Harry was completely baffled now, and his headache was only getting worse. _Freedom from what, then?_ He asked.

The dementor's tone became reverent as it replied, **Frrrrrrom ourrrrr masterrrrrr. Frrrrrom ourrrrrrr makerrrrrr. Frrrrrrrom the Dwellerrrrrrrr.**

 _The Dweller?_ Harry asked. _Who is that?_

It shook furiously again, and Harry could feel a twinge of worry over their link. **I cannot say morrrrre. I felt yourrrrrr powerrrrrr when you flew thrrrough the airrrrrr. I know you can frrrrrree us. Ask yourrrrrrr masterrrrrr about the Dwellerrrrrrr.**

Harry supposed this must be one of the dementors he accidentally connected with at the quidditch game, and that was why it sought him out. _Why should I help?_ he asked. _What do I get out of freeing you?_

The dementor looked up for a moment, seeming to consider his question. Then before Harry could move, it appeared to melt through the earthen prison he'd created. One moment, it was trapped and helpless. The next, it was free and looming over him, dangerously close to his face. Harry shrunk back and fell to the ground, but the dementor only hovered above him, watching him. Then it replied, **You will be mighty, wizarrrrrd borrrrrrn. The worrrrrlds will trrrrremble at yourrrrrr powerrrrrrr. But you arrrrrrre also doomed without ourrrrrr help. Only with ourrrrrr assistance can you be frrrrrrree. Frrrrree us, and someday we will frrrrrrree you.**

With that, it turned to the diamond pattern hanging in the air, and swooped back into the real world, clearly unconcerned by the restrictions of the mirror dimension. Harry could only gape from the ground as it vanished back into the woods.

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 **A/N: Leave a review to tell me what you think! I love reading your thoughts!**


	20. Chapter 20: Discussing and Discovering

**Disclaimer: The work of JK, WB, Marvel, Disney. Take your pick.**

 **A/N: I apologize** **unreservedly for the gap in posting. I'm a teacher, and you might have noticed that my last chapter was posted right about the time that school started. I didn't intend to wait this long, but I also ran into writer's block. This is one of my longest chapters ever, at least. I can't promise that I'll be back to my updating schedule again, but I will resolve any cliffhangers this chapter brings before the school year ends.  
With all that out of the way, enjoy!**

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Chapter 20: Discussing and Discovering

December 19

Harry had dithered awhile on telling his master about his encounter with the dementor. While it was undoubtedly important, Harry had also been breaking the rules at the time by visiting Hogsmeade. He had eventually decided to make it sound like he'd met the spectre on the edge of the Forbidden Forest while walking in the grounds. After telling Kaecilius what the dementor had said, the man's response was immediate.

"We're going to Dumbledore"

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As Harry and Kaecilius went up the spiral staircase to the headmaster's office, they heard voices inside the room. While Harry was inclined to wait till Dumbledore was finished with his other guests, Kaecilius had no such compunctions. He grabbed the handle and flung open the door.

"-until the fugitive is caught!" Harry heard a very familiar voice exclaim as they entered.

There in one of Dumbledore's plush guest chairs sat Minister Fudge, nervously twirling his bowler hat in his hands. The man looked up, startled, at the new arrivals. The headmaster was, as usual, seated calmly behind his desk, though his eyebrows raised considerably when he saw who had burst into his rooms unannounced. Without missing a beat, Dumbledore said to Fudge, "I understand your reasoning, Cornelius, even if I don't agree with it. Thank you for meeting with me, but it appears my next appointment has arrived."

Fudge spluttered a bit before standing, and after glancing back at Harry again he finally recognized who he was looking at. "Harry Potter!" he cried, striding over to shake Harry's hand vigorously. "A pleasure to finally meet you. I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

Harry had seen the man twice in person already, most recently the day before at the Three Broomsticks, but he didn't want anyone to know that. He gave a shy smile as his arm was pumped up and down and responded, "It's an honor, s-sir."

"Oh no, the honor's mine!" Fudge argued with a broad smile, though it dimmed a bit when the man turned to Kaecilius. "And you are?"

Kaecilius, never an exceptionally cheerful person, gave a short bow before saying with a neutral expression, "My name is Kaecilius, sir. Mr. Potter is my apprentice."

Fudge gasped in recognition. "Of course, of course! I seem to recall one of my department heads mentioning that Harry here had entered an apprenticeship back in June! Lovely. And what year did you graduate from Hogwarts?"

Kaecilius' face gave nothing away as he said, "I'm from the continent, sir, not England. I would have likely gone to Durmstrang, but they wouldn't accept me based on my blood status. I was taught privately instead."

Fudge nodded understandingly, though there now was a clear note of condescension in his tone. "I see. Well, I'm glad to have finally met you, my good man. And Harry, are you enjoying learning as an apprentice?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, sir. I c-couldn't ask for a better teacher."

Fudge was satisfied with his response, and after a few more platitudes and well-wishes he vanished through the Floo. Dumbledore, who had been watching the entire exchange silently, finally spoke up. "I'd appreciate a bit of warning next time you decide to visit. As much as I enjoy our chats, I was hoping to keep you out of the minister's eye for awhile longer."

Kaecilius smirked. "Are you referring to me or Harry?"

"Both, really," Dumbledore said with a sigh, looking unamused. "The last thing we need is the Ministry becoming aware of your abilities, Kaecilius, and Harry is too inexperienced in politics as of yet."

"I expect the Durmstrang pureblood policy will serve as an excellent smokescreen for some time," Harry's master replied. "It's difficult to refute, and the only way for them to know I am a sorcerer is if I use my powers directly in front of them. I'm not too concerned about that."

Harry also felt like he should speak up in his own defence. "And Draco is teaching m-me about some of the politics, sir," he said to Dumbledore. "The Wizengamot and Ministry are fascinating institutions."

Dumbledore's face tightened slightly. "While I applaud your willingness to reach out to other houses, Harry, I would ask that you be careful in your interactions with young Mr. Malfoy. We both know what his father is capable of."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Kaecilius waved his hand dismissively. "Who Harry interacts with is not why we are here. I apologize for the unexpected nature of our visit, but we have an urgent matter to discuss. Harry, tell him."

Harry obeyed, giving Dumbledore a detailed description of his conversation with the dementor while purposefully avoiding the subject of where it happened. The headmaster's expression grew darker with each word, until finally Harry ended his tale and waited expectantly for a response. Kaecilius had no such patience. "You need to tell us everything you know about dementors," the sorcerer said forcefully. "Their known origins, their habits, their weaknesses other than the Patronus spell. Everything, Dumbledore."

The headmaster, nearly slouching in his seat, steepled his hands in front of his nose and looked grimly back at Kaecilius. "Very well, but I have a few questions of my own, questions I think you can answer. Perhaps we can take turns?"

Kaecilius shrugged irritably and nodded. "What do you know about where they came from?" he asked.

Dumbledore sighed gently. "Regrettably little," he replied. "The first record I've seen dates back to the times of Merlin and Morgan Le Fay, but it tells only a bit about them. Essentially, they appeared from nowhere, terrorized the magical folk for a few centuries, and then agreed to guard prisoners in exchange for their life energy which, as Harry has discovered, they quite enjoy. It is believed they consented to this pact not long after the Patronus spell was created."

 _So they've spoken to people before_? Harry interjected.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe that's another question, but I'll answer it. They usually communicate by telepathically projecting emotions and vague images, and I've never heard of them using actual words in the way you described. For example, back on Halloween night they told me they wished to join in the castle search for Sirius Black. I know this because I felt their anger at losing their prey, their hope at recapturing him quickly, and one showed me a misty image of a dementor roaming the hallway. They easily understand it when we speak to them."

Now he leaned forward and gave Kaecilius a penetrating stare. "Who is the Dweller? I can tell you know something."

Kaecilius grimaced. "I do."

He took out his sling ring and swung his arm around in a circle, forming a portal. Harry could see the library in the London Sanctum on the other side, and in a few seconds Kaecilius had summoned a large book through the hole. Once it was in his hands, the sorcerer closed the portal again.

Dumbledore coughed gently. "I'm not entirely comfortable with your ability to open a literal gateway in my office. There are an incredible number of safeguards and spells that should prevent it."

"Believe me, it wasn't easy," Kaecilius replied. "The wards on Hogwarts are formidable."

Beads of sweat were indeed covering the man's forehead as he placed the book on Dumbledore's desk and began flipping through the pages. After a brief search, he pointed at an entry. "Read this, but silently. As I'm sure you're aware, names have power, and we would do well to treat his name cautiously. Harry, read it when the Dumbledore is finished."

Harry cautiously approached the tome and waited for the headmaster to skim through the page. When he'd finished, he gravely pushed it closer to the boy, and Harry found the passage quickly.

'The Dweller-in-Darkness, Lord of fear, nigh omnipotent within his home of Everinnye. Creator and consumer of terror, father of monsters that revere the night.' he read.

He looked up at Dumbledore, who was deep in thought, then back at his master. _What does it mean by creator and consumer of terror? He invented fear?_

Kaecilius shook his head. "Nothing quite so impressive," he replied. "It means that his existence is dependent on fear. He creates the emotion in others through various means, then sustains his life force and abilities by consuming the fear he induced. It's quite easy to believe that he created dementors. The Ancient One has told me about some of his other servants. He sometimes appears in the dreams of weak-willed humans and promises them eternal life if they kill themselves. If they obey, they instead are transformed into shade-thralls, slaves to his will which have great strength and induce fear in their victims. They are weak to light, however, especially magical light. Sound familiar?"

Dumbledore leaned forward in interest. "Indeed. So you would conclude that the dementors were some of the earliest creations the Dweller sent to Earth, which preyed only on witches and wizards. He later created shade-thralls that are able to attack everyone else, correct?"

Kaecilius nodded slowly. "It makes sense."

 _And now the dementors want to be free of his control?_ Harry asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "There are a number of problems with that," he said. "First, we don't know what effect that would have on the dementors. It could diminish or augment their powers, or make them completely uncontrollable. Second, we don't know if the individual you talked to speaks for all dementors. It could be that most of them want to remain under his control, which means they would fight your attempts to free them. And finally, I'm sure the ministry would want to be involved in any process that would affect their prison guards. Most likely, they would forbid you from doing anything if they know about it."

Kaecilius let out an irritated huff. "Not to mention that the Dweller would almost certainly not be amenable to losing control of his servants. I don't want you to attract the attention of a being with nearly limitless power, Harry. For obvious reasons, I should hope."

Harry sunk into one of the chairs, feeling the full weight of the issue. _What should I do?_ He asked miserably.

Both men looked uncomfortable at the question, and there was a moment of silence. Harry fought not to fidget as Dumbledore appraised him. Finally, Kaecilius spoke up. "We need to meet with this dementor, but make sure no one knows we're doing it. We need to know more. Where did you say it met you?"

Harry carefully kept his face expressionless as he replied, "On the edge of the Forbidden Forest."

It was technically true, as the Shrieking Shack sat on another border of the woods.

Kaecilius narrowed his eyes at Harry, who felt his heart sink. The man turned to Dumbledore and said shortly, "We'll be in touch," then strode quickly to the door.

Harry gave a nervous grin to Dumbledore, whose grim demeanor softened slightly as he waved the boy on his way. When Harry met his master at the foot of the stairs outside the office, Kaecilius looked quite stern. "Where did you meet the dementor, Harry?"

The question was asked in a flat and forbidding tone, and Harry knew that any attempts at deception would be useless now. He hung his head and answered quietly, "Near Hogsmeade."

Kaecilius let out a loud puff of air from his nose, like an irritated bull. "I see."

The man began a brisk walk down the hallway, forcing Harry to jog to keep up with his master's long strides. "Where are we going?" Harry asked timidly.

The was a moment of silence before Kaecilius answered without turning his head, "You, my dear apprentice, are in need of extra exercise, it seems. You clearly feel cooped up in the castle where you are safe. I think a few hours of cardiovascular fitness will do you good, and we can even use the mirror dimension to expand our space, so you can feel a greater sense of freedom. After you've gotten all this rebelliousness out of your system, we can view the memory of your meeting with the dementor and begin planning."

Harry sighed quietly and followed.

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January 13

Harry shifted nervously and tried not to shiver in the morning air. He and Kaecilius waited on the edge of the forest as the sun slowly rose above the trees, doing almost nothing to warm the pair. Dumbledore had decided not to accompany them to this meeting for fear of drawing undue attention, but had promised that he would be monitoring the proceedings 'in his own way'. Harry had no idea what the old man had meant by that, but Kaecilius had seemed satisfied at Dumbledore's assurance. The headmaster had arranged a dementor to meet with them covertly, which had apparently not been easy.

Kaecilius stood at ease next to Harry, looking as if he routinely visited the forest at daybreak in the dead of winter. He didn't even seem cold, which honestly annoyed Harry more than the constant drills his master had been running him through recently. Kaecilius didn't know about the Marauder's Map, thankfully, and assumed Harry had used his growing skills to sneak off the grounds through the forest. Strangely, many of the exercises and skills his master had focused on since then centered around stealth and deceit. Sorcerous skills, like the Winds of Watoomb and the Bands of Cytorrak, were put on hold for the time being. Besides preparing for this meeting, practicing occlusion during normal conversation, blending into the background of any room, and using magic to quickly jump from the ground into high tree branches were now regular skills Harry had to master. It was, to Harry's mind, as if his master wanted him to be able to not only escape the castle easier, but to be able to lie about it without being caught.

His musings were caught short as the air, already frigid, grew even colder. Harry could feel the water on his eyes drying out as a dark shape swooped out of the forest and settled above their heads.

Harry braced himself and connected his mind to that of the dementor. He couldn't help wincing as the shrieking filled his head, but Kaecilius' firm hand on his shoulder gave him confidence. He wasted no time and made sure that his master could hear his questions.

 _Do you speak for all dementors?_ He asked.

The dementor nodded.

 _You all seek freedom from your maker?_ He emphasized, making sure there could be no confusion.

Another nod.

 _How do you think I could help you? I'm not that powerful. Surely someone like Dumbledore would be better._

The dementor shook its head slowly. The deep and unsettling voice echoed beneath the screaming sound as it replied, **He is old. His mind is rrrrrrrigid. He is a wizarrrrrrrd alone. You arrrrre the one who can help us. Sorrrrrcerrrerrrrr and little wizarrrrd, both.**

Harry nodded resignedly. That was what Kaecilius had expected the dementor to say, but Harry had wanted to make sure. He looked at his master, who was clearly struggling with his stoic expression the longer they stood near the spectre. Kaecilius shivered, but his steadying hand didn't waver as the man grimaced and nodded encouragingly.

Harry looked at the dementor. _What can I do?_

In just a moment, the world around Harry rippled and vanished. The trees in the forest were swallowed up in a dark haze, Kaecilius and the dementor faded away like ghosts, and Harry found himself alone in a black mist. He gasped and looked around frantically, but there was nothing to anchor himself, no features he recognized. He stumbled forward, reaching for a tree that he knew was only a few feet in front of him, but his hands met no resistance.

Suddenly, Harry felt a burning heat on the back of his neck, and he spun around to see a brilliant yellow glow towering above him. The glow brightened until it was nearly blinding, then split in two, forming a pair of enormous malevolent eyes that stared into Harry's own. Harry couldn't say why, but the sight of them filled him with more dread than Voldemort had ever achieved. He shook in terror as the eyes watched him, feeling helpless and tiny. A piercing pain began to build on Harry's forehead, worse than his scar had ever given him, and he screamed.

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Cold. Wet. As Harry's mind swam back to consciousness, that was all it could process at first. Why was he so cold, and his whole body felt soaked? What was this pain in his head? Slowly, his ears began to take in a quiet but steady murmur, and the words in it started to make sense. "Come back to me, Harry, come on, back to the world, back to me, come on, child. Wake up, come on,"

Harry groaned, and the voice gave a great sigh of relief. "That's right, Harry. Come on. Open your eyes."

Another voice, rougher and tired, chimed in. "How long has he been like this, Kaecilius?"

Kaecilius snapped back, "Never mind that. Just keep your warming charm going. His body temperature is still dangerously low."

The second voice huffed and Harry strained to open his eyes, but the morning sun above him made him wince and close them again. He thought a moment, then forced his eyes open again. Yes, the sun was high above him now. Hadn't it been early morning when they went out here? He focused his eyes closer to himself, and saw that his master and Professor Lupin were leaning over him, the latter with his wand held out over Harry's torso. The boy took a deep breath and focused his mind on Kaecilius. _What happened, sir? Where's the dementor?_

Kaecilius gave a wary look at Lupin, who clearly hadn't heard Harry's questions, and responded aloud, "I'm glad you're awake at last, apprentice. Those spells clearly were too advanced for you. You've been unconscious for about an hour."

Harry may have still felt dizzy, but he had no trouble understanding what his master was saying. He pasted on a weak smile and nodded. "Sorry, sir. You t-told me not to try, and I should have listened."

Kaecilius nodded seriously, and helped Harry get to his feet. "Thank you, Mr. Lupin," he said to the teacher. "I can get him back to the castle now. Tell the headmaster I will see him soon."

Lupin nodded once, obviously not sure of himself, and turned to walk back to Hogwarts. Once he was out of earshot, Kaecilius whispered, "Well done, Harry. Dumbledore sent him to check on us after we didn't return, but I don't know how much he was told."

He stared into Harry's eyes and frowned then. "What happened, Harry? As soon as you asked the creature your question, you dropped to the ground in a heap, like a puppet with cut strings. The dementor flew away almost immediately, and I couldn't do anything to wake you. What did it do?"

By the time he'd finished his questions, Kaecilius' voice had a hysterical edge to it, even as his expression remained stoic. Harry felt inexplicably guilty for leaving the man alone in the snow, despite not knowing the reason for his fainting spell either. He haltingly described what he could remember of the darkness and yellow eyes while Kaecilius guided him along to the castle. After he'd finished his brief account, his master was almost dragging him, his steps long and rushed. They stopped just outside the main doors to Hogwarts, and Kaecilius grabbed Harry's hands, squeezing them painfully and making the boy look up at his teacher. _That could only have been the Dweller, Harry_ , the man said to his mind. _He knows, or at least suspects, what his servants have planned. We must give up the idea immediately._

Not giving his student a chance to respond, he pulled Harry into a tight hug. Harry was dumbfounded. This was the first time Kaecilius had done more than an affirming squeeze of Harry's shoulder. Clearly, Harry thought, the man was near the end of his rope.

Kaecilius released him and looked down at his student's face. "The dementors are not our problem anymore. Do you understand and agree, Apprentice Harry Potter?"

The apprentice magic straightened Harry's spine and forced the response from his mouth. "I understand and agree, Master Kaecilius."

As they spilled from his tongue unbidden, the words felt wrong to Harry. The dementors wanted help, and they were no more than slaves. Dobby had been in the same situation, and hadn't Harry helped him? Yes, the dementors seemed more malevolent than any house elf, but that didn't mean they deserved to be bound in servitude forever.

Kaecilius was scared of the Dweller, and Harry may have been too, but that didn't mean he had to give up completely. After all, Harry considered, Harry had to obey any order given by his master that wouldn't hurt himself or someone else. Giving up on the dementors, he decided, would definitely hurt them. As he came to this conclusion, still staring at Kaecilius outside the doors of Hogwarts, he felt a tiny trickle of magic inside him. The same magic that had forced him to agree with his master unclenched on his body just a bit, as if agreeing with his decision.

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February 3

"Your progress is incredible, Harry. You're closer to success than any student I've ever seen."  
Professor Lupin said. He stared in wonder at the thick silvery mist that was billowing from Harry's wand, bright and strong. Harry felt quite proud of himself as he directed the mist in different directions, filling Lupin's classroom with light.

The professor turned to look at him, asking, "Harry, why even bother to come to me with this? Mr. Kaecilius has clearly been teaching you well if you've accomplished this much in a few months."

Harry released the spell and let the mist dissipate. "It's not enough, sir," he replied. "I need to succeed at the spell c-completely, and he won't work on it with me anymore."

Lupin's forehead crinkled. "He… won't? Why not?"

Harry sighed, unsure of how to explain without telling too much. "He doesn't think... I can do m-more. He thinks it's a waste of time, and besides that, he doesn't have a c-corporeal patronus either. So he can't teach me more."

Lupin considered Harry for a moment, then gave a sigh of his own. "Very well. I can't say I'm surprised that Mr. Kaecilius hasn't managed it. Dumbledore tells me he was taught at home, and this spell is among the most difficult to perform. I only got the hang of it during my sixth year."

He paused and brought his fingers to his forehead, massaging it gently. "We can meet here in the evenings. Once a week is about all I can spare, though. I've quite a heavy workload, especially with my NEWT and OWL students."

Harry restrained himself from doing a jig, and settled for a decisive nod. "Thank you, sir. I'll work hard, I promise."

Lupin chuckled. "Of that I have no doubt. Your father, scamp that he was, still kept ahead of me in most of our classes."

Harry was brought up short. "You knew my f-father?"

Lupin smiled. "Quite well. We were roommates in Gryffindor, in fact. One of my dearest friends, along with your mother."

Harry felt like he couldn't breathe. Certainly he'd heard many times how he resembled his parents, and some of his teachers had reminisced to him some of their best qualities, but he'd never spoken to someone who was their friend, who had grown up with them. He had a million questions, but he settled for one.

"Can you tell me about them, sir?"

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Harry wandered back to his dorm, a smile plastered on his face. Professor Lupin had told him several stories about his father, all of them exceedingly funny. He knew he would never be able to look at Professor Flitwick the same way after hearing about 'the noodle incident'.

As he climbed up to the Gryffindor tower, he heard a quiet hiss down a nearby hallway. He turned and saw Draco standing next to a pillar, motioning frantically to him and putting a finger to his lips. Harry hurried over and whispered, "What is it?"

Draco gave worried looks down both ends of the empty passageway. After he was sure no one would overhear he said, "Harry, some of the Slytherin team are planning on luring dementors onto the pitch during Friday's game. Not as many as the last time, just a few so they can trip you up and win the match."

Harry cocked his head in confusion. "How could they get dementors? They don't listen t-to students."

Draco waved one hand dismissively. "I don't know! It hardly matters. I just wanted you to know. I'm all for Gryffindor losing at quidditch, but not like this."

Harry gave him a grateful grin. "Thanks, Draco. I'll make sure the professors know."

Draco grabbed his arm and stared disbelievingly at Harry. "Are. You. MAD?" he hissed. "Haven't you learnt ANYTHING from what I've taught you about politics?"

Harry stared back for a moment, his mind reviewing some of Draco's 'lessons', then sighed. "Right. If I tell, they'll know you're the one who t-told, and you'll lose standing. All right, what should I do?"

Draco sputtered. "I don't know! You're the one who can slay basilisks, aren't you? I'm risking myself enough just by warning you!"

With another furtive glance behind him, Draco hurried away, muttering about lionhearted dunces.

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February 5

The weather was cooperating for this quidditch match, at least. While still bitingly cold, the sun shone brightly down on Harry as he zoomed around the pitch, searching for his quarry. He kept half an eye out for dark cloaks, but for the past fifteen minutes no dementor had shown.

Gryffindor was leading by only twenty points when the snitch first appeared, nearly halfway between Harry and the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang. They both dove for it at once, and the snitch shot straight down, forcing a chase. Soon Harry and his opponent were neck and neck, trying not to bump into each other in their pursuit. Harry couldn't help but notice, even as he struggled furiously to follow the tiny golden ball, that Cho was quite pretty. She angled her face towards his for a moment and winked, as if aware of his attention, and that was all it took for Harry to lose a tiny bit of concentration and begin to fall behind her as the snitch leveled out and shot away.

Furious at himself, Harry decided to execute a maneuver usually reserved for Chasers, a Speelman Steal. Angling his broom, he spun upside down, hanging onto his broom like a sloth. Gripping tightly, he pushed his broom to go faster and managed to get underneath Cho as she continued her hunt. Murmuring a quiet apology, he kicked out one leg and managed to connect solidly with the bristles on Cho's broom. Instantly, her flight path was thrown off and she had to fight to keep from spinning out completely. She managed to stabilize her course after a moment, and glared furiously at Harry, who shrugged. While not a kind tactic, Harry knew he hadn't broken any rules. In the commotion, the snitch vanished.

The match continued with Cho electing to simply follow Harry from above, keeping a healthy distance between them. Harry was annoyed at the rather effective strategy, as he knew he would be unable to go after the snitch unnoticed. It was after a few minutes that Harry decided to make Cho work for it if she really wanted to trail him. Feigning an excited look, he dove for the ground, gripping closely to the broom. He could hear Lee Jordan shouting animated commentary in the distance, and felt Cho's shadow on his back as she streaked above and behind him.

Once he had gotten low enough, he wrenched his broom up, close enough to the ground that his toes brushed through the dead grass. Cho cursed creatively as she grappled with her broom and swooped up again. Harry grinned, then felt his breath catch. The snitch was directly ahead of him. Cho hadn't noticed yet, and he darted forward, hand outstretched. He poured on every bit of speed he could, and felt his opponent begin to follow him through the air. He was nearly on the elusive ball when Cho suddenly screamed. He tore his eyes from the snitch to see two dementors emerge from one of the locker rooms, floating quickly towards him. Not sparing a moment to try and connect with their minds, he waved one arm and focused a small gust of the Winds of Watoomb towards them, and was gratified to see both spectres topple backwards. With a grin, he turned to reach out ahead of him, plucking the snitch from the air.

He sighed in relief and turned back to where the dementors should have been, no doubt angry at his spell, but all he saw was Crabbe and Goyle floundering on the ground in overlarge robes. Harry laughed at the sight of the boys trying desperately to untangle themselves, especially with Professor Snape making a very angry beeline towards them. Any further view of the Slytherins was cut off as Harry's teammates swarmed him with cheers and congratulations.

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February 12

"Remind me why we're doing this, Harry?" Ron asked for the second time.

Harry sighed, but quietly replied, _It's a project for my lessons with Kaecilius. I haven't been able to find anything new on dementors in the library, so we're looking here. And don't say my name_. _I'm not supposed to be here, remember?_

Ron nodded resignedly and continued to run his hands over the shelves, trying not to run into Harry's invisible form under his cloak. They were in a small bookstore in Hogsmeade, well off the main road, that Hermione had discovered on her first excursion to the village. Hermione herself already had her hands full of books she'd found, and Harry doubted most of them had anything to do with magical creatures. Her insatiable drive to learn meant she regularly picked up enormous and obscure books.

Harry carefully made his way over to her, wary of the store's owner who stood by the front door, patiently watching his friends in the empty bookstore. When he was stood beside her, Harry whispered into her mind, _Anything?_

Hermione gave a little start of surprise, but gave no other indication of his presence. She turned towards Harry and set down her pile on the floor, then began going through it. In a casual tone, as if talking to herself, she said, "Let's see, Ghouls of the Globe, but it's a newer edition, so there might be something worthwhile that the library copy doesn't include. Magical Creatures of the Mediterranean, probably a long shot. Sins of the Sorcerers. No, on second thought that's not very useful-"

 _Wait!_ Harry shouted, making Hermione withdraw her hand from the book and look up in surprise.

She stared at where she thought Harry might be, clearly confused at his excited tone, and he winced. Best friends they may be, but Hermione and Ron still didn't know that Harry was being trained in sorcery. Kaecilius had deemed it need-to-know, and was concerned that they might not exercise enough caution in talking about it. His master would almost certainly not be happy about Harry looking up more information about dementors, given his earlier orders, but his friends didn't need to know that either. He forced himself to sound calm and continued, _What's that one about?_

She looked down at the book and shrugged, whispering, "Apparently there are some forms of magic available to muggles, or at least a few of them. Wizards tried to stamp out all branches of sorcery several centuries ago, but the sorcerers fought back and nearly broke the Statute of Secrecy in retaliation. We've left them alone since then."

Harry nodded, even though she couldn't see it. _Why did you choose it?_

She shook her head as she said, "Since we don't know much of the history of dementors, I thought the sorcerers might know more. This book seems more like an indictment of sorcery in general, though. I was going to get it for-"

 _A little light reading?_ Harry finished, making her cheeks go pink. Casually, he said, _Get it for me, and I'll pay you back when we get to the common room. Whatever else you think might be useful, too._

Hermione nodded, but hesitated from picking up the book again. "Harry," she whispered. "Why do you want it?"

 _Research_ , he replied quickly. _I better go check on Ron. We're due to meet Neville soon._

He hurried away and got the redhead, who had found nothing useful, and accompanied his friends as they paid for their purchases and headed back into the snowy afternoon. The door had barely closed behind them before a crash of wood and metal made them spin to their right. Out of a nearby alleyway a tiny gray blur tore down the street, followed closely by a black cat that galloped and tripped, as if its balance was askew. The cat stumbled over its tail and landed in a heap, as the gray blur resolved itself into the form of a battered looking rat. "Scabbers?" Ron shouted, and the rat turned and hurtled towards him, its eyes wide and panicked. Ron knelt down and scooped up the rodent, looking befuddled but determined as he pushed Scabbers into his pocket. The black cat shook its head and glared up at the trio before picking itself off the ground and sauntering away, still swaying and weaving drunkenly. Only once it had left their view did Ron dig his rat out and stare at it in wonder. "Scabbers, is it really you?" he whispered, inspecting the animal and clutching at its front paw with one missing toe.

The rat, still heaving for air, gave a tired squeak and fell asleep. "Yes, it's him all right," the redhead sighed. "Only Scabbers could kip out that quick."  
He may have sounded disgusted at his pet, but Harry noticed that Ron didn't stop hugging the rat for the rest of the afternoon.

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April 7

"-but by then it was too late. The entire floor was covered in that purple goop, and Peter was completely covered in it. He reached out and grabbed James, and PULLED him down into it too. Oh, James just screamed like a little girl, it was uproarious."

Harry clutched his sides and gave into the laughter as Professor Lupin finished his story. Their patronus lessons were making slow progress, but Harry looked forward to them each week, mostly for the chance to hear about his father and mother. Lupin seemed to have an unending supply of tales from their school days. Peter Pettigrew, Alice Prewitt, and Sirius Black played minor roles in the stories, but they always centered around James and Lily.

Once Harry had gotten his breath back, he looked up and asked a question that had been on his mind recently. "Professor, can you tell me about th-them after they graduated?"

Lupin's wide grin dimmed a bit, but he nodded slowly. "What would you like to know?"

"What was it like before they… well. Before Sirius b-betrayed them?"

Lupin's eyes grew as large as dinner plates. "Who told you about that?"

Harry looked down to the floor before answering. "Draco heard it f-from his father."

He couldn't see the professor's face, but Lupin sat silently for a moment before humming thoughtfully. "I see. Well, you must understand that those were dark times, Harry. Far darker than you could imagine. Deaths and disappearances were regular events, and you didn't know who you could trust. Your parents were in hiding for months, holed up in their little house. They'd gotten some warning that You-Know-Who was after them specifically, and while they were brave enough to stand against him, they weren't willing to risk you as well. You were their world, Harry. I've never seen James' face so lit up as the day you were born. Lily too, she couldn't keep her eyes off you. They both adored you so much, we all did. Peter and Sirius and I were all like uncles to you."

Harry, even drawn in to the telling as he was, couldn't help but scoff, which brought Lupin up short. "How could someone who loved me t-turn on us like he did?" he asked angrily, and his teacher seemed to deflate.

"...I don't know," Lupin replied. "I've never understood it. There were signs, looking back on it now, but nothing concrete. Sirius would disappear for weeks at a time, telling us he had 'missions', but Dumbledore seemed not to know about any planned assignments when we asked him. We thought maybe the Headmaster was just playing dumb, keeping our roles in the war separate, but obviously Sirius was working for the other side at that point. I wish I could tell you his reasons, but he played us all for fools. He would always be the first among us to defend muggles and the muggleborn. Even faster than Lily, if you can believe it! He was always going on about how the muggles had gotten so far ahead of us, how stagnant our society had become. We all fell for it, I'm afraid."

Lupin looked so defeated, hunched over and miserable, that Harry felt bad for even asking the question. Hesitantly, he asked, "What was your job in the war, s-sir?"

"Me? I was an emissary to-" and Lupin stopped with a small jolt, seeming to remember something as he looked at Harry. "-To disenfranchised groups, magical creatures and individuals that hadn't decided who to side with. Not easy to do, as you might imagine. I always carried portkeys with me, in case negotiations went sour."

"And my parents?" Harry inquired.

"James was an auror before he went into hiding, fighting for the Ministry. Lily was always experimenting with potions at home, trying to come up with new formulas that might give us an edge against the Death Eaters. She mostly shelved her research after they had you."

Harry couldn't help his next question, even if he hoped to already know the answer. "D-Did they regret giving up their careers? Because they had me?"

Lupin shook his head wildly. "Of course not! Never! Why, James once said he'd live on the moon if it kept you safe. You were one of their only specks of light in the darkness of the world, Harry. For me, as well. Every dangerous job I went on, it was worth it to keep you safe. I'd walk back in the door of their house, and you'd shout "Moo-ey!", and everything was all right again."

Harry snorted. "Moo-ey?"

Lupin chuckled too as he replied, "You couldn't say Remus or Lupin, of course. And your father always called me by my nickname from school, Moony, so that stuck with you as well."

Harry felt his jaw drop, and Lupin looked confused. Harry croaked out, "You're Moony? Did my dad have a nickname too?"

Lupin nodded slowly as Harry ran to his bag and began digging through it. "Yes, we called him Prongs. Why?"

Harry sprinted back to his teacher and flung the worn piece of parchment into his lap. "You know what this is, then?" he asked excitedly.

It was Lupin's turn to drop his jaw as he picked up the thick paper. "I never thought I'd see this again," he whispered. "Filch confiscated it from Peter our last week here, and we never had time to steal it back."

He drew his wand and pointed it at the parchment, intoning, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As lines of black ink spread over the surface, Lupin looked up wonderingly to Harry, who quickly explained where he'd gotten it. Once he'd finished, Lupin shook his head and chuckled, handing it back to the Gryffindor. "I shouldn't let you have this back, but I'm sure it could keep you safe better than if I held on to it. Just… promise me you won't go wandering around at night, especially with Black on the loose."

Harry nodded, and Lupin laughed heartily. "Listen to me, telling James' son not to use the Marauder's Map for mischief. Oh, Harry, it's only right that you have this. James would be so proud of you, of the young man you're becoming. I know he intended on getting this back from Filch and giving it to you someday. He would be pleased as punch to know you managed it by yourself."

The two grinned at each other for a moment till Lupin took a deep breath and said, "Well now, we should try the spell again. That's why we're here, after all. Go on, Harry. Think of a happy thought."

Harry glanced down at the map, the creation that his father had helped design, and thought of James Potter smiling happily, proud of him. He waved his wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

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June 8

Harry sighed as he sat in the dark and musty hallway, waiting for Trelawney to open the trap door to her classroom and let him take his exam. This was his last test, and he'd found all of his year-end examinations to be incredibly easy. Part of that, he reflected, was his determination to live up to Kaecilius' high standards, and he had studied and revised like never before this year. Ron had been appalled at first, but eventually started working a little harder after Neville and Hermione had encouraged him as well. He sometimes complained that it felt like he was still in the accelerated summer school his mother had run after he'd been petrified last year.

Neville's academic performance had improved this year as well, which Harry credited to having a group of loyal and supportive friends for a change. As for Hermione, she was still top of the class, to no one's surprise, but she was glad for the healthy competition that Harry had introduced to their friendship. No longer did she have to badger him to complete his work or revise for a test, which she appreciated. She certainly didn't need any more stress in her life, judging by her frankly impossible workload. The boys had puzzled over her ability to take several courses that were held at the same time, but when confronted she had denied anything of the sort. Harry had been too busy with his own problems to delve too deeply into the mystery, in any case.

There was another factor to his own newfound capacity at test-taking, Harry thought. Ever since mastering the Patronus charm several months earlier, Kaecilius had delighted in experimenting with the spell. While other enchantments could create objects and effects that might last indefinitely, the magic of those spells dissipated quickly. By contrast, the patronus itself lingered in a room for as long as the wizard could hold it. Harry and Kaecilius had spent numerous lessons in shaping the raw magic into new forms. Harry's patronus, in the shape of a majestic stag, had been stretched, squashed, grown, shrunk, and contorted in a myriad of ways. The stag didn't seem to mind.

The end result of their experiments, though, was that Harry had begun to feel comfortable with melding sorcery and wizarding magic, using one to assist the other. It hadn't helped him learn new spells more quickly, though Kaecilius was sure that would be the case before long. The spells he already knew, though, came easier and faster, spurred on and strengthened as he commanded them with power from other dimensions.

His transfigurations sometimes took on quirky new elements, though. The teapot he was supposed to turn into a tortoise, for example, had grown a set of wicked fangs, which had left McGonagall at a loss. Harry had pretended that it had been on purpose, but he doubted his head of house had fallen for it. In the end, she'd deducted a single point and told him to "stick to the directions".

A creaking noise above him brought him from his musings as the trap door slowly swung down and Ron appeared, swaggering down the narrow steps. He approached Harry and whispered, "Just like we thought, mate. Feed her doom and gloom and she'll eat it up. Good luck."

Patting Harry on the shoulder encouragingly, he continued down the hallway. Harry chuckled as his friend turned the corner, and heard his teacher call "Harry Potter!" in her typically misty voice. He climbed up the steps and made his way towards a small round table where Trelawney sat, staring up at him over a crystal ball. Her overlarge glasses made her unblinking eyes appear huge as he slowly sat across from her.

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"Excellent, my dear," Trelawney enthused. "I'm tremendously sorry for you, of course, but I've no doubt that you've glimpsed the inevitable. Full marks!"

Harry smiled queasily back. Having just spent fifteen minutes predicting the gory deaths and dismemberments of everyone he knew, he felt rather irritated that his teacher could sound so chipper. "Thanks, Professor. Anything else?"

"No, no. You're finished up. Go enjoy the summer sun while you can," she responded cheerily.

Harry snorted, pushed himself out of his chair, and turned to go. He'd taken no more than a step when a dark and raspy voice shouted, "IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."

Harry whirled around in alarm to see Trelawney draped limply against the back of her chair, her eyes filmed over with a silver sheen. "P-Pardon?"

The professor's mouth snapped open and the harsh voice continued, "THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT, HIS SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE WATCHERS OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT WILL ACT AT LAST, UNWILLING TO WAIT ANY LONGER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN ANY WIZARD OR SORCERER. TONIGHT… BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT… WILL SET OUT… TO REJOIN… HIS MASTER."

Her body spasmed and shook for a moment, then Trelawney jerked and sat up, her eyes alert and clear again. "So sorry, dear boy," she said, reaching up to massage her throat. "What were you saying?"

Harry swallowed, suddenly aware that his mouth had been hanging open in horror. "Er… nothing, Professor. It's not important."

Trelawney nodded absently and made a shooing motion towards him. He quickly obeyed and practically ran down the ladder to the hallway below. He rushed through the hallways to the classroom he knew would be empty, slamming the door behind him and desperately reaching for his hidden earring, squeezing it tightly. He needed Kaecilius.

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Harry sat warily up in his bed, glancing frequently at his watch. It was only nine o'clock at night, but he fully intended to stay up till the midnight deadline had passed. He'd discussed what Trelawney had said with Kaecilius and then his friends for several hours, and no one had any idea what to do. Hermione had flatly dismissed the whole thing as nonsense, quite sure that the Divination professor was a fraud that couldn't predict her way out of a paper bag. Ron and Kaecilius had both been more cautious, however, though they didn't know what to make of the words Harry had heard. The Dark Lord must be Voldemort, with his servant being Sirius Black. Harry had a sneaking suspicion he knew who the 'watcher in darkness' might be, terrified as he was to admit it.

Ron, Neville, and Hermione had turned in early, tired from the exams and subsequent discussions, but Harry was sure he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew it was safe. Kaecilius had assured him that he would keep vigil in the castle and speak to Dumbledore. He hoped it would be enough.

As he glanced at his watch again, Harry began to feel his eyes droop. He yawned, then stopped short. What had he been doing? He was keeping watch, wasn't he? Keeping watch for… someone. Or something. Maybe he had better get out of bed. He pushed himself to the edge of the bed, but then his arms felt terribly weak. Why was he getting up? He should rest. He let his arms relax, but he'd already gotten so close to the edge that his weight made him fall out of the bed. He hit the stone floor with a thump, and the sharp impact jogged his brain enough to remember the prophecy, and the panic overrode his fatigue. Something was wrong. He reached up and stuck his hand between the mattress and bed frame, where he hid the Marauder's Map for safekeeping.

He pulled it out and got his wand from its holster, whispering frantically, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

As the dark lines of ink spread over the parchment, his thoughts began to blur again. What was the problem? Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He looked down at the map where the Gryffindor dorms were located and found his own dot from old habit. There he was, with his roommates asleep in their beds. And right outside the door… was Sirius Black.

As if on cue, the door creaked open. Harry could barely keep his eyes open, but he didn't see anyone enter. The door closed quietly again, and he could hear something quietly padding toward him. In the dimness of the room, it was only a few feet away when Harry recognized the form of his dog.

 _Andros?_ he whispered to its mind.

Perhaps he was imagining it, but it felt like Andros answered back, _Go to sleep, Harry._

So he did.

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 **A/N: Sorry for leaving you hanging! I've left every puzzle piece out there about how this Sirius is different from canon, and there are some pretty big clues in this chapter. Leave me a review to tell me what you think, and to see if you've guessed at it.  
As I've said, the break for chapter 21 won't be nearly as long as this last one. I've already got large portions of it written out.  
Till next time!**


	21. Chapter 21: Prisoners and Promises

_A/N: I know it's been months. I have no excuse other than writer's block and a busy schedule. You know, like literally every other writer on this site. I hope this chapter is a good enough compensation for the wait. If you don't remember where we left off, it might be a good idea to reread the previous chapter. Many thanks, as always, to the excellent Nyx the Author for being my beta. He has lots of great ideas, some of which showed up in the chapter.  
Thanks, and enjoy!_

 **Chapter 21: Prisoners & Promises**

Harry forced his heavy eyes open, groggy and unsure of where he was. He could tell he was sitting upright, his back pressed against an uncomfortable metal chair. His glasses were still on his face, so he could see that he was in a dimly lit room, fairly plain and sparsely decorated. On the wall across from him was some kind of round emblem that he couldn't make out.

Before he could take in the rest of the room, movement drew his eye to the form of a tall man who was slowly coming towards him. Harry tried to get up, but nothing below his shoulders would move. He was paralyzed as the man drew closer, and Harry could tell this must be Sirius Black.

For a madman on the run from the law, he looked surprisingly well-kempt. His hair was neatly trimmed, with a black goatee that surrounded a cocky grin. His face was full and clean, nothing like the gaunt and filthy face on the 'Wanted' poster Harry had seen in Hogsmeade. Black reached behind himself and grabbed another chair, casually sitting down opposite Harry and looking at him expectantly.

Harry just stared for a moment, waiting and unsure, but Black seemed content to let him begin. Harry cleared his throat and asked, "Where am I?"

"In my quarters, standard issue," Black replied, his calm smile not budging.

For a moment, neither wizard spoke, with Harry straining to move even a finger and his captor watching him with interest. When it was clear his efforts were futile, Harry huffed and glared at Black. "Why am I here?" he asked half-heartedly.

Black calmly replied, "I need to right a wrong from 12 years ago, and I can't do it without you."

"Right a wrong?" Harry shouted, incensed. "Is that what you c-call betraying one of your best f-friends to a madman?!"

Black's smile dimmed a bit, his brows furrowing down. " That's exactly what I call it."

He stood up and looked away from Harry, taking a deep breath. Harry, who had continued fighting the spell keeping him paralyzed, felt it slowly loosening on his fingers. Not wanting to draw Black's attention to it, asked, "How d-did you get into the school tonight?"

Black didn't turn his head, seemingly staring intently at something in the corner. "It was no great trick, Harry. I've been in and out of the school all year. No one gives a second thought to a cat or an owl."

"You're an animagus? But animagi only c-can be one animal."

Black chuckled as he turned back to Harry. "An animagus has one natural form, it's true. One of the things you learn your seventh year, though, is human transfiguration, where more gifted students can learn how to transform into various animals. It's never as natural as your true animal form, but it got me in the building. Now, regarding my true form, I suppose you don't quite remember everything from this evening. Who came into your room before you fell asleep?"

Harry had to think hard to recall, his mind still a bit fuzzy, but he gasped as it came to him. "Andros? You mean y-"

He swallowed his next words in shock as Black twisted and shrunk into the familiar form of the black dog. He let his pink tongue loll from his mouth for a moment before giving a joyful bark and transforming back.

Harry gritted his teeth in frustration before howling. "You've been following me all this time? You slept in my room and pretended to be my f-friend for… weeks?! For WHAT?!"

Black stared at him coolly, seemingly unconcerned about Harry's anger. After a quiet moment, he responded, "I'm under orders, Harry. Even after all this time, I'm following my instructions."

"Voldemort?!" Harry exclaimed incredulously. "He's weak and… and impotent! He can't even-"

"The fact that he isn't dead after you reflected a killing curse back into his face means he's far from weak," Black said firmly.

Harry could feel his wrists loosening from the restraining spells. He only needed to keep Black talking for a few more seconds before he could act. "Even if he isn't weak, he c-can't do anything for you now. Why follow me all this time, stalk me from the w-woods all year?"

Black shook his head. "It's not just about you, Harry. Nothing is ever so simple."

"Then what is it about?" Harry asked furiously. "Tell m-me, what was so important that you had to escape Azkaban to do it?"

Black grinned, the same cocky smile Harry had seen on Neville's face several months before. "Azkaban? I spent about a week in Azkaban. I haven't been there for years."

Harry's hands were free, but he lost concentration on the spell he was about to cast. "W-What are you talking about? Everyone knows you broke out last summer."

"It's amazing how often the things that 'everyone knows' are completely wrong," Black chuckled. "Sirius Black, mass-murderer, betrayer of his best friends, and secret spy for the darkness. Everyone knows that."

Harry was tired of Black's rambling. Despite the man's trim appearance, he was clearly insane. Harry's arms were immobile, but his hands up to his wrists were free. Slowly, he extended two fingers on his right hand and spun then in a gentle circle. Behind Black's head, the air silently cracked in half, then into quarters and eighths, till it resembled a splintered glass. Black didn't notice anything as he kept talking. "The wizarding world is full of unthinking followers, Harry. No one dares to follow their own path. I was the only one who was willing to bridge the unknown."

Harry snorted. "Good on you."

Twisting both wrists in a forceful pushing motion, Harry summoned the Winds of Watoomb and blew Black backwards. Even as he flew swiftly towards the shattered entrance to the mirror dimension, Black's confident smile never wavered. Just before he vanished, his arm shot out, wand pointed square at Harry, who felt his frozen body pulled forward out of the chair. Harry couldn't help the small scream that escaped his throat as he unwillingly followed Black into the entrance.

The second he passed into the mirror dimension, Harry felt the spell break that had held him immobile, and he reached out to catch himself as he landed on the tent floor. Directly above him, Black stood at the ready, wand still pointed directly at him. His grin was still there, but his eyes were guarded now, unsure. Harry knew Black would have taken his wand, but this was almost immaterial. Kaecilius had trained him hard in the mirror dimension. This was Harry's home turf now. He had a distinct advantage over Black, and the man knew it.

Harry smiled up at the man, and pushed a wave of power into the ground. The floor pulsated like rippling water, and Black stumbled. Harry gave another push into the ground, this time forcing the floor up so that with a grinding sound, the entire room began to rotate. In less than a second, everything had turned 90 degrees, with the floor becoming a wall. Black toppled down, but Harry was able to lightly lean back and land easily on the tent wall that now served as the floor.

Unwilling to give him any time to recover, Harry spun his arms in a quick circle and flicked his hands forward. The tent wall beneath them split open and spun into geometric shapes like a kaleidoscope, creating a hole in the center. Black, who was lying almost on top of it, scrambled to get away, but Harry jumped forward and landed on the man's fingers, making him howl and reel back, falling right through the hole.

Harry jumped in after him, intent on grabbing and binding him with a spell, but he was so shocked at where he landed, he nearly stumbled. They were already inside Hogwarts, in a disused classroom full of dusty desks and chairs. He could see the Quidditch pitch through a window! He spun to Black, who was picking himself up from the wall, and angrily asked, "How? They searched the whole castle!"

Black chuckled, then winced and set one hand against his ribs. "You've heard the story of your parents' betrayal, Harry. You know what the Fidelius spell does. It doesn't have to be cast on something as large as a house, you know. It can be anything, even a tent."

The knowledge that Black had been this close all the time, taunting everyone, made Harry even more angry. He flung his hands out and called on the Crimson Bands of Cytttorak, which shot towards Black. The man was still holding his side with one arm, but with the other he flicked his wand, conjuring a clear shield that made Harry's spell shoot off at odd angles. Not to be deterred, Harry called on the bands to curve and come at Black from the sides. Black smiled at Harry, and as his spell closed in on the left and right, the man dropped to the floor, flat on his back. The Crimson Bands smashed into each other and dissipated.

Harry decided to reuse a trick from his encounter with the dementor, forcing the stone beneath Black to ripple and give way like liquid, then shoot up and encircle the man. Once he was covered, Harry turned it back to solid stone, with Black covered from his shoulders down. Black looked down at his body, completely trapped in the stone, then back up at Harry. "Well done," he said, a clear note of pride in his voice. "What will you do now?"

Harry stopped short. "Do?" he asked. "I'm going to get m-my master here and turn you in to the Ministry."

Black smirked. "How do you plan to contact Kaecilius?"

Harry rolled his eyes and put one hand up to his ear, then glared furiously at Black. His earring, the only way to reach his master, was gone. "Where is it?" he snarled at the man.

The convict's grin grew. "With your wand, of course. Somewhere back in the tent. But you can't leave this dimension without your spell wearing off, can you? I watched you train all summer, Harry. I know how this place works. If you leave to get your things, I'll escape again."

Harry grit his teeth, knowing Black was right. "I can c-close the entrance!" he said, trying to sound menacing. "You'll be trapped in here forever until a sorcerer comes t-to let you out!"

Black snorted quietly. "You could. But I feel confident that I could find someone else trapped in here and ally myself with them. And besides, you would hate if someone else took me in."

Harry took a step closer to the trapped man. "I could just kill you," he whispered. "It's what you d-deserve."

Black's shoulders twitched, like he was trying to shrug, but his face remained completely calm. "I don't think you could, Harry. You're not that kind of person."

Harry walked closer, nearly eye to eye with Black. "You don't know me," he answered heatedly.

Black raised his eyebrows appraisingly. "Maybe not. Perhaps I shouldn't give you that chance."

With a nasty squelching sound, his face and shoulders disappeared into the rock, like Black was dissolving inside. Harry jumped back in horror, worried he'd done something on accident, but only a moment later a small black cat wriggled out of the hole, giving Harry the feline equivalent of a smug grin. Harry gasped, recognizing the form from Hogsmeade, and raised his hands, but the cat darted away. Just as before, Black was unsteady in this form, weaving drunkenly at times, but it now worked to his advantage. Harry chased the cat around the classroom, trying to trap him in the walls or hit him with a sorcerer's spell, but the unpredictable movements of his prey made it hard to target. Harry tried to pull up a section of the wall to cage Black in, but the cat splayed its legs out, coming to a quick stop, then darted back between Harry's legs.

Harry stopped his chase and closed his eyes, focusing on the whole room, then pushed his arms outward. The room itself broke in half, then began to rotate in opposite directions, revealing the rooms and hallways adjoining them. Harry could see Mrs. Norris serenely padding by on what now appeared to be the ceiling, before he turned his attention to Black. The cat had transformed back into a human and was clutching his head in pain, his feline senses overcome by the sudden changes in perspective and orientation. Harry smiled in satisfaction, knowing he had experienced a part of that same discomfort at first, but Kaecilius had trained him without mercy. He swiped one hand forward and the wall that Black stood on fell away, dropping the man into another classroom with a crunch and a yelp. Harry nimbly jumped down after him, expecting to see Black laying painfully on the ground.

What he did not expect was a monstrous wolf pacing back and forth in front of him. Black was frozen behind it, staring at the creature with wide eyes. Harry tried not to move from his landing crouch, but was still breathing hard from his chase. It was only after a few seconds that he could see the wolf was staring past him at the door to his back, not eying Harry like a tasty snack. Whatever this monster was, it was in the real world.

After exhaling in relief, he looked over the restless animal to Black, who still hadn't torn his gaze from the wolf, looking amazed rather than terrified. Harry raised his hands and shot the Crimson Bands at Black, who barely seemed to notice the magic encircling and confining him. Once the man was tightly covered, Harry strode confidently to him and looked down at his prisoner, who calmly turned to stare back. "You have me," Black acknowledged. "Shall we go?"

Harry was nonplussed at the man's reaction. "I'm going to give you to the Ministry, Black. They've sentenced you to the dementor's kiss, you know. Don't you care?"

Black snorted inelegantly, looking amused. "Take me back to the tent, Harry. I think I can convince you otherwise."

Harry snarled, "I'm not listening to another word. I ought to put you back in the real world with this monster. You deserve it."

Black sighed and looked at the wolf sadly. "I probably do, Harry. So much of what I've done started with Moony here. It would be fitting if he was the one to kill me."

"Wha- Moony?!" Harry exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the creature. It took him a moment, but he could see this beast wasn't an ordinary wolf, with elongated legs and a distended jaw. He turned back to Black. "Professor Lupin is a werewolf?!"

"He is," Black said. "As well as one of my-"

Black cut off at the hurried sound of footsteps that grew louder by the second. Through the deconstructed halls of Hogwarts, he and Harry could see Kaecilius himself rushing down the corridor, his hands darting madly in every direction like a man lost in a darkened room. His face, though, told a different story, as he looked determined and furious. Harry had only seen that look once before, when they had been down in the Chamber and he'd told his teacher just what he'd done all year.

This time, though, Harry could only feel relief as his master made a purposeful turn towards the classroom and ripped open the door, his other hand still feeling the air in front of him. He came to a shocked stop at the sight of the werewolf, but it was clear that the beast wasn't wild. It gazed calmly back at Kaecilius, then tilted its head to the side, as if asking a question. Kaecilius gave a short bow and said, "Good evening, Professor Lupin. I'm very glad to see you've been taking your Wolfsbane potion. I'm sorry to intrude, but my student is very nearby. I need the use of this room."

The wolf looked understandably confused as he looked around the classroom, which appeared empty to him. Harry couldn't help but grin as it looked directly at him without realizing it, but it turned its eyes back to the man and gave a sort of shrug. Kaecilius returned with an appreciative nod, thrust his hands forward, and spun his arms, opening a new entrance to the mirror dimension behind him and pulling it over them both. Lupin's canine face showed utter shock, first at being thrust into a brittle-looking portal, then at seeing both Harry and a trapped Sirius Black only feet from him. His surprise lasted only a moment as he immediately snarled ferociously and took a step closer to the criminal, looking ready to bite him in two.

"One moment, professor," Kaecilius said, looking immensely proud as he took in the scene before him. "It appears Harry has this well in hand. I feared the worst when your friends were found drugged and unconscious in your dorm, young man. I'm happy to see you in one piece."

Harry gave a tired smile to his teacher. "Thanks to you, sir. How d-did you find me?"

Kaecilius replied softly, "The mirror dimension is nearly undetectable to your average wizard, but a skilled sorcerer can feel when someone is manipulating it nearby. Especially when that someone is using quite a lot of brute force on their surroundings, as a novice might. I was only a few floors away."

Harry looked down bashfully, a bit chagrined at still being termed a novice even if he knew it to be true. He glanced back up to his teacher and tried to inject some formality in his tone. "The p-prisoner is ready to be turned in to the ministry."

Kaecilius smiled back and stepped forward, looking down at the trussed up Black in disdain. "Indeed he is. Is there anything you'd like to say before we do that, Mr. Black? Any apologies you'd like to make, for example? This may be your last chance to make your peace."

Black sighed. "You are very capable, Mr. Kaecilius. I'm glad you took Harry on as a student, but your timing leaves much to be desired. I had planned on having a heart-to-heart and clearing the air, but now I'm forced to stick to the bare essentials."

Kaecilius curled his lip just as Lupin let out a deep and menacing growl. Black didn't even flinch. "Make it brief, then," the sorcerer said impatiently.

Black nodded. "Very well. Let's start with the important bit. I didn't betray James and Lily twelve years ago. Peter Pettigrew did. We switched Secret-Keepers at the last minute and didn't tell anyone. It didn't end well."

Harry, Kaecilius, and Lupin all took a moment to digest the statement. Harry managed to react first, shouting, "Why didn't you start with that in the t-"

He choked on the word, worse than he'd ever stuttered before as the breath was pulled from his lungs. Kaecilius looked over at his student in concern before Black snorted softly. "That's not your secret to tell, Harry. The headquarters of Sirius Black are in the old Magical Medicine classroom."

Harry felt his air return at once, and he took an enormous gasp in relief. After he coughed and glared at the man, he tried again. "Why didn't you start with that information in the tent? I would have at least listened instead of attacking you!"

Sirius gave another of his cocky grins. "I wanted to allow you to let off some steam first. I figured you might be more willing to listen afterwards. I also wanted to see how your training progressed. I've barely gotten to see you practice since this summer."

"This summer?" Kaecilius asked, to which Sirius quickly transformed into Andros, the Crimson Bands resizing to fit him before he changed back into a human.

Kaecilius smacked his own forehead in annoyance, visibly connecting the dots in his mind, as Harry asked his next question. "Why kill all th-those people in the street thirteen years ago, then?"

Sirius' face fell in despair for a moment. "I didn't kill them. I was trying to capture Peter, but he blew up the street and faked his death. He's an animagus too, in the form of a rat."

He locked eyes with the werewolf as he added, "The rat of Ron Weasley."

Lupin's jaw swung open in shock, but Kaecilius' response was much more measured. "Do you have any proof for any of this?"

"Bring us out of this dimension and take me to the next room. Peter is in a cage in my tent, and I just told you the Secret of its location so you can see it too. We can un-transfigure him right now."

The werewolf swung around and immediately began throwing himself at the door, desperate to see for himself. Kaecilius shouted in annoyance, "Calm down, professor. We'll go, just let me bring back the portal."

In a matter of seconds, though, Lupin's panicked efforts redoubled, this time as foam began to flow out of the creature's mouth. Kaecilius tried again to placate him, so Harry was the only one facing the window and could see the problem. "Sir!" he shouted, pointing out into the night sky.

The full moon, glowing white above the forest, looked as if it was splintering, cracking apart as the mirror dimension naturally did when a sorcerer did not have full control. After only a moment it split in two, then four, each iteration shining brightly into the classroom. Lupin howled in agony, blood mixing into the spittle flowing fast from his mouth. His body spasmed, cracked, and grew even larger, taking up most of the wall leading out of the classroom. Bones began pushing out through the fur along his spine, sharp and covered in red. The other occupants of the room looked on in horror as the beast turned a frenzied eye towards them, clearly more beast than man now. It slowly turned, its joints unnaturally shifted so that every step looked immensely painful, but its goal was clear as it licked its huge teeth in anticipation.

Kaecilius moved fast, forcing open a small portal to reality, grabbing Harry and Sirius by the arms, and pulling them through. In less than two seconds they were out, and he closed it behind them, trapping Lupin in the mirror dimension. Harry turned in horror to his master. "S-Sir, we can't leave him in there! His body was…"

Words failed him as the image of his monstrous teacher felt burned into his retinas, and Kaecilius took a shaky breath before replying. "I'm sorry, Harry, " he said regretfully. "I never considered how the mirror dimension might affect him, even with the Wolfsbane potion in his system. I don't think a werewolf has ever experienced that. There's no choice, though. We couldn't risk bringing him out here into the real world. I don't know if he would go back to normal or not, or if he'd even survive the process. All we can do is hope he makes it through the night, and with any luck we can find him in the morning."

After considering his words, Harry realized his master was right. He turned to glare at Sirius, who looked similarly upset. "We're going to your tent right now, and I hope f-for your sake that what you said was true," he stated forcefully.

Sirius gave a solemn nod as Harry focused on the Crimson Bands and pulled them into the air, Kaecilius leading the trio out into the hallway and back to the nearby classroom. Inside, the black tent was unassumingly resting on the floor, looking completely mundane without the Fidelius charm hiding it. Harry marched through the entrance, sparing barely a glance at anything but a small metal cage which had before been hidden in the gloom of the poorly lit and expanded interior. He picked it up and wasn't sure if he should be happy about seeing Scabbers unconscious form inside. He could tell the rat wasn't dead from the shallow rise and fall of his chest, but it had never looked so poorly before. Huge chunks of fur had fallen out over the past year, and he looked skinnier and more frail than any rat Harry had ever seen. Seeing his wand and earring next to the cage, he pocketed them swiftly, then carefully carried the cage out of the tent back to where Sirius and his teacher were waiting, laying the cage at Kaecilius' feet.

The man looked doubtful as he stared at the still rodent, asking, "Why is it asleep? Surely someone hidden as an animagus would be terrified out of their mind right now."

Sirius gave a dark chuckle. "I gave him a strong sleeping potion that should last the night. He's tricky, you see. I didn't even know he was in the school till I saw the Weasley boy carrying him into the owlery back in September. When I broke into the Gryffindor dorms on Halloween, I managed to sneak him out and dose him with potion, but he built up a resistance. I had to keep undoing the animagus spell to question him, and the changes in size and weight made the effects wear off sooner than I anticipated. He managed to escape me in February, and ran straight back into the Weasley boy's arms. I had to plan tonight's heist very carefully. He shouldn't wake up until dawn, if I've dosed him correctly."

Kaecilius glanced over at Harry, who nodded and thought to his teacher, _It makes sense, sir. Black is very good at self-transfiguration, and I remember seeing a black cat that chased Scabbers in Hogsmeade. I've seen him turn into the same cat tonight when we were fighting. He's clumsy as a cat, but it's definitely him. This answers a lot of my questions about the man's behavior. He could have killed me easily this year. He didn't._

The man nodded thoughtfully and leaned down to open the cage, pulling the comatose rat out gently onto the floor. He looked severely at Sirius and asked, "What is the incantation to turn him into a human?"

Sirius looked calmly over at Harry. "It's a strong jab with your wand, while you think the words _Animalis Solve Fasciculos_. Picture the rat turning back into a human as you think it."

Harry grit his teeth, running over the words in his mind, and followed the directions. His first jab did nothing, while his second made his wand put out a faint blue light. Sirius nodded and encouraged Harry, "That's it. One more try with the image in your head. He's an ugly git with a heavy overbite. You'll know him when you see him."

Harry focused on that unpleasant picture and tried the spell once more. The wand shone a brilliant blue, which shot at Scabbers and enveloped him. With a gentle pop, the rat expanded into the form of a man. Even in the weakly lit room, Harry could recognize Peter Pettigrew from old newspaper clippings he'd seen, though the man's face was older and far more gaunt. The boy looked at his master and gave a firm nod.

"Very well," Kaecilius said. "What do you plan on doing with him, if we let you go?"

Sirius shrugged as well as he could, still tied up in Harry's spell. "Tonight is my last night assigned to Hogwarts. I'll take him back to my superiors and let them decide his fate."

 _Assigned?_ Harry asked. _Superiors? Who do you work for?_

"The same people I've worked for these past seventeen years. A muggle spy agency called SHIELD. It's an acronym for... you know, I don't remember what SHIELD stands for. Something about Strategic Hazards, I think. They're the good guys."

 _Seventeen years?_ Harry asked, completely confused. _You've been working for non-magical spies this whole time?_

"Since before I left Hogwarts," Sirius replied proudly. "SHIELD does many things, among them monitoring the world for extraordinary people, and the wizarding world certainly qualifies. They were happy to leave us be, right up until Lord Voldemort started killing the ordinary folk. Then they started quietly recruiting among the muggleborn dredges of society, people who were happy to leave behind a life of second-class citizenship. My parents were nasty old pureblood purists, and the thought of working for muggles with superior technology appealed to me. I started spying for them and going on secret missions not long after the war started in earnest."

 _You told me earlier you were in Azkaban for a week. How? I heard Fudge talk about visiting you in prison_.

Sirius smiled. "That wasn't me. Are you familiar with homunculi, small magical constructs given a sort of life?"

Kaeculius nodded impatiently, so Sirius continued. "SHIELD has magical and scientific researchers on its payroll, and they have done some outstanding research in that field.. They call it the Triple-PH, short for Polyjuice Personalized Prototype Homonculus. You infuse one with a polyjuice formula, and it takes the human form of whomever you choose. Perfect for placing soon-to-be dead bodies of agents in convenient spots. We took it one step further on the day they broke me out of Azkaban, giving it a sort of personality as well. It wasn't much, with this being its first test run, but it could eat, breathe, follow eye contact, and nod. Not enough to pass off as me in conversation, but it didn't need to. Azkaban has a reputation for driving its prisoners into a comatose state, and that's just what we needed. They got me out, and put the new 'me' in my place."

Harry shook his head, even as the story filled in the gaps in his mind. _Fudge said you, or maybe it, acted crazy when he visited. He said something about flailing around and grabbing at people near the bars._

Sirius nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "Well, it was only a prototype. It lasted for nearly 12 years without a problem, but our researchers had hypothesized that near the end it would act erratically. Once it broke down completely, it disintegrated. I'm sure it was quite a puzzle for the guards the next day, finding a cell with nothing but a bit more dust than usual."

"Incredible," Kaecilius said quietly. "But once you'd supposedly escaped, why would your superiors assign you here? They must have known the wizards would expect you to show, and be on high alert."

"All the more reason for me to come," Sirius replied matter-of-factly. "If I vanished completely, the jail cell might be more thoroughly searched, and the odds of finding traces of the homunculus, while still low, go up quite a bit. If I showed up around England, they would leave it be. My boss needed someone familiar with the area to go into Hogwarts. Something about giant snakes going around petrifying people?"

He gave Harry a sly grin, which made the boy groan. _It wasn't my fault!_

"That's debatable," Kaecilius said tersely, still slightly annoyed at his apprentice's actions the year before. He sighed. "Well, I can't see any reason to keep you here. Harry, if you'd release him, please."

Harry nodded and thrust his hands forward, dispelling the crimson bands. Sirius shook himself vigorously, almost like a wet dog, and pumped his arms and legs. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "My limbs were falling asleep."

Harry saw the man's wand had fallen onto the floor when he released Sirius, so he reached down and picked it up, then held it out. Sirius nodded and held out his arm to take it.

With a bang, the classroom door slammed open, and Ron and Hermione rushed in. They took in the scene in an instant, with all three conscious occupants of the room staring back in surprise, and Ron shouted, "Harry, no!"

He thrust out his wand, yelling, "Carpe Retractum!"

A beam of light flashed from Ron's wand and attached itself to Sirius'. The wand zoomed back towards the boy, who caught it deftly. "That's Sirius Black, Harry! Are you mad?"

Harry glowered back at his friend. "I know, Ron. He's not here to k-kill me. He's-"

Hermione gasped, pointing at Sirius. "You've bewitched them both, haven't you?" she shouted accusingly at him. "Release them right now!"

Kaecilius rolled his eyes. "We're of perfectly sound mind, thank you," he said testily. "Mr. Black here was just leaving. Give him back his wand, and we'll explain everything."

"Not on your life!" Ron said, an edge of panic in his voice. "It's probably the Imperius curse, Hermione, my dad talks about it all the time. they're not themselves."

It was Sirius' turn to sigh. "They're both fine, I'm not an evil murderer, and I'm only here to take Pettigrew here into custody. He's spent the last twelve years disguised as your rat, Ronald."

Both teens looked down in confusion at the unconscious man on the stone floor, before turning their eyes back to Sirius. Hermione looked unsure, but she said, "Pettigrew is dead. You killed him, and several other people besides."

Harry smacked his own forehead. "No he didn't. We've just g-gone over all this before you arrived. How did you even find us?"

Ron looked back at his friend. "Your map was under your bed. You weren't showing up on it for the longest time, then you appeared with these two a couple of minutes ago. We left the map with Neville and came straight here."

Harry nodded, then noticed Kaecilius giving him a very pointed stare. The man's next words made Harry's innards freeze up like a block of ice. "Map, Harry? And what map would this be?"

Harry glared at Ron, who had the grace to look embarrassed about the slip, and quietly admitted, "I might have an enchanted map that sh-shows everyone in the castle. B-but Lupin let me keep it! He said I could stay safe with it."

Kaecilius glare softened a bit, but he still quietly bit out, "And yet, you still kept it a secret from me. No doubt to allow yourself an easier way to sneak out to the village."

Harry hung his head and nodded. He heard Hermione whisper, "Ron, they aren't acting imperiused. And you can't use the spell on more than one person, at least not well."

Sirius piped in, "I also don't have my wand at the moment, if you'll notice. Hard to cast such a demanding spell without one."

Ron slowly lowered his wand, taking another look at the unconscious form of Pettigrew on the floor, then back at Sirius. "That's Scabbers?" he asked, sounding completely lost.

The man nodded sternly. Ron looked over at Hermione, who gave a tiny, helpless shrug. Ron deflated a bit, then took a few steps forward, holding out the stolen wand to Sirius. The sound of footsteps in the hallway made everyone turn as Neville, Fred, and George all piled through the open doorway. The map was dangling loosely from George's hand as the three boys took in the room, including their brother handing a wand to Sirius Black. All three boys reached the wrong conclusion simultaneously and went for their own wands.

What followed was a confused jumble, as Hermione and Harry tried to stop the Gryffindors from getting a spell off, while Sirius watched calmly as he pocketed his wand, an amused smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll get him-"

"No, you've g-got the wrong end of-"

"Put your wands away this instant!"

"You don't understand! He-"

Finally, Kaecilius took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stomped one foot furiously. A wave of power blew outwards from the spot, knocking all five students to the ground. Harry had managed to grab Neville and Fred's arms, but had received an elbow to the gut for his troubles. Hermione was dumped under George when both had fallen, and was rubbing her chin in pain. Kaecilius grimaced, then reached out to pull the twin off of Hermione, grabbing the map as he did.

As the other students gingerly picked themselves off the stone floor, he unfolded the parchment, looking carefully over it. After a moment of searching, he looked appraisingly at the three newcomers. "Your loyalty does you credit, but your intelligence does not. As you might have put together, Sirius Black is not a threat to anyone in this room, with the exception of Mr. Pettigrew here," he said, as he gestured back to the body on the ground.

Fred and George looked at each other in confusion, then over at Pettigrew. George spoke first, clearly befuddled. "Peter Pettigrew?"

"One of your dorm mates?" Fred continued.

"How'd he get so old?"

"And ugly?"

Everyone looked at the twins in uncertainty, but Neville answered first. "What are you talking about? There's me, Ron, Harry, Seamus, and Dean in our room."

Sirius called out confidently, "Let me guess. You've seen Peter on the map in their room since your brother's first year, right?"

Both boys nodded, and Hermione sniffed indignantly. "Weren't you two paying attention during our sorting at all?"

Fred shrugged. "All that mattered was Ron and Harry that year."

"No offense, Neville," George interjected.

"Or you, Hermione," Fred continued. "Besides, at the time we were busy sneaking a bowtruckle into Percy's bag. Priorities, after all."

She sighed and nodded. "I suppose. But haven't you ever noticed that there are only five boys in the year?"

Fred shook his head dismissively. "No. Didn't seem important. Do you know how many are in our year?"

All four third-years were brought up short at the question. Ron started to count on his fingers before Kaecilius spoke up again. "A fair response, but a pointless one. It's enough to know that Pettigrew framed Mr. Black for his crimes and has been hiding successfully as your brother's pet rat for many years. The rest can wait."

He stepped closer to the twins, looming menacingly. "I've no doubt Neville here retrieved the two of you for back up, and you all followed this map here. The important question for me is: did you tell anyone else on your way here? I'm quite tired of these interruptions."

All three boys seemed to shrink in on themselves, looking very sheepish. Harry groaned in annoyance. "Who?" he asked.

Neville rubbed the back of his neck. "We may have run into Draco on the way here. ...And we may have told him to get help."

Everyone but Kaecilius and the twins moaned. "Wonderful," Sirius sighed. "And where is Snape now?"

Kaecilius scanned the map quickly before tapping a spot near a corner. "He's just reached the front gates, and Mr. Malfoy should be here shortly."

"Snape probably went to get the dementors. They could easily fly here within a few minutes," Hermione surmised.

Sirius nodded decisively. "Then I should be on my way."

With a jab of his wand, an orange light transformed Pettigrew back into a rat, which the man shoved hurriedly into the cage. He turned and waved his wand at his tent, and within a second it had shrunk to the size of a matchstick, then flown to his hand.

No sooner had it reached him than Draco skidded around the corner, face red with exhaustion. He locked his eyes on Sirius and reached into his robe to grab his wand. Fred, George, and Ron all tackled him.

Sirius grinned at Kaecilius and Harry as the four tussled. "How would you recommend I leave? Are there any tricks you can use to slip past the dementors?"

Master and apprentice looked at each other, considering how to answer with the boy's classmates so nearby. Harry thought quietly to the men, _The mirror dimension is out. Professor Lupin is trapped in there, and the dementors don't seem to follow our rules in there anyway._

Kaecilius nodded grimly. _My sling ring isn't an option. It's very taxing to open a true portal within Hogwarts' wards, and we have far too many witnesses. Of course, the three of us could easily knock them all unconscious within a few moments. No witnesses, then._

Harry winced. _Can we please not attack all of my friends?_

Sirius snickered quietly, then whispered, "Anything else?"

Kaecilius shrugged. _I'm not sure what other spells in my repertoire are useful against such creatures. I know several obscuring spells, like the Vapors of Valtorr or Mists of Munnopor, but they might be pointless against a creature that can sense souls and life energy._

A quiet "What?!" made them turn to see the scuffle had ended, with Ron explaining the situation to a roughed-up Draco, who was now looking incredulously at Harry and Sirius. Harry gave the blond a helpless shrug, and said, "Sorry, Draco. I appreciate your help, though. You came charging right into danger."

Harry's mouth must've twitched in amusement, and Draco bristled at the implication Harry was making. "I am a Slytherin, _Potter_. I do not _charge_ into danger, especially on behalf of Gryffindors."

Harry nodded his head agreeably, but he had to fight to keep a grin from growing across his face. "Of course not."

Draco huffed as the other students snickered quietly, but Harry was more focused on the problem at hand as he turned back to Sirius. _Can you transform into something small?_

Sirius' eyes lit up. "Excellent idea!" he exclaimed.

He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face in concentration. In seconds, his body began to shrink, with the same unpleasant squishing noise accompanying the change. When he'd finished, a small black owl sat on the stone floor, looking around then up at Harry with its enormous eyes. Harry had a vague memory of this owl staring at him in the Owlery during his first week. He heard Hermione coo adoringly at it, but when he looked back at her, she was instead looking around in embarrassment, rubbing her arms nervously. He turned back to owl-Sirius and asked, "Can you fly?"

The owl shook his head and hopped awkwardly towards Harry, nearly tripping over his tiny talons. Harry bent down and grabbed him, cradling him under his arm. He looked at Kaecilius, who had his eyes fixed on the window to the classroom. Harry followed his gaze and felt his stomach sink, as numerous shadows flitted in front of the full moon, growing rapidly in size. Harry's teacher turned back to the room full of students, his expression stony. "Harry and I will be escorting Mr. Black to safety. The rest of you, get up to the Gryffindor common room, NOW."

Some of the Gryffindors looked as if they wanted to argue, but Harry turned to them all and nodded decisively, which appeared to help them make up their minds. The two groups streamed out into the hallway and went their separate ways, with Ron, Hermione, and Neville looking back at the master and apprentice worriedly as the pair took off down the stairs.

Harry and Kaecilius met with no resistance for several minutes, dashing through the silent and empty hallways at a steady pace. When they reached the second floor, however, the air began to freeze rapidly, and the walls ahead of them darkened unnaturally. They looked at each other and turned as one, heading down an adjacent hall, and quickly left the cold darkness behind them. Harry was able to lead them through a hidden passage behind a large tapestry, one he knew would lead to the front entrance.

When they came out within sight of the exit, though, a dark figure was standing stock still in front of the open doors. Severus Snape had his arms crossed behind him, looking happier than Harry could remember seeing from the usually dour man. As Harry and Kaecilius slowed to a halt in front of him, Snape raked his eyes over the duo, a sneer beginning to twist his smile. "Potter!" he spat, "Where is Black? I know he was-"

Then he spotted the tiny owl that Sirius had become, partly hidden by Harry's arm, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "An animagus? Of course. How clever of you, but it's over, Black," he gloated. "I had hoped to be the one to capture you. The dementors are quite eager to reacquaint themselves. They may even give you… a kiss."

Harry opened his mouth to explain the situation, but Kaecilius had plainly lost his patience. He thrust a hand towards the professor, pushing a strong burst of air which nearly knocked Snape head over heels. The man whipped his wand out and materialized a shield, allowing him to regain his balance, and he focused on Kaecilius suspiciously. Snape began to speak again, but Kaecilius was in no mood to talk, forcing another blast of wind at the hook-nosed professor, then twisting his hands up. While Snape was battling the strong gale, he failed to notice the tendrils of ice that grew out of the ground at his feet. After the frozen branches had ensnared his boots, Snape glanced down in alarm and whispered a spell, summoning jets of fire that attacked the ice.

This, however, was just what Kaecilius was waiting for, and he drew his arms back behind him, then pushed them forward quickly. The resulting Wind of Watoomb blasted Snape's upper body backwards in an arc, even as his legs were stuck in place. Snape's head smacked against the stone floor so hard that Harry almost felt sorry for the man, but the obstacle he'd provided was at least taken care of. As they hurried past his professor, Harry was relieved that the man merely looked unconscious. He wasn't bleeding, but he'd certainly have quite a headache later.

They darted out into the night, looking up to see an alarming number of dementors hovering above them. They seemed to consider Kaecilius and Harry for a moment, then began to swoop down with abandon. Kaecilius shouted, "Barriers, Harry!" and began to twist and thrust his hands out, summoning gusts of winds and glowing chains that pushed and constricted the oncoming spectres. For every dementor Kaecilius thwarted, two more slipped through and rushed headlong towards them.

Harry wasn't idle, however, and diligently followed orders. Using his wand to summon and direct his stag patronus, he used his other hand to throw up shields that stymied the progress of their attackers. It was clear, though, that their tactics were only delaying the inevitable. Any dementor that was tossed away by a spell quickly regrouped and attacked again, screeching angrily.

 _Let me talk to them!_ Harry called to Kaecilius, as the strain of his rapid spellcasting began to wear on him. _They might listen to me, at least._

 _Not a chance,_ the man replied grimly, his spells still flashing through the night.

Harry felt the tiny owl under his robe squirm free, dropping to the ground with a thump before it noisily twisted back into the form of Sirius Black. He gave Harry a nod and a confident grin, then whipped out his wand. "Need any help?"

Without waiting for a response, he turned to the approaching dementors and threw out his own patronus spell, this one taking the form that Harry had known for months as Andros. The giant glowing dog partnered with Harry's stag and began to turn the tide, driving some spectres away that had otherwise kept attacking. Slowly, ever so slowly, the crowd began to thin, till what had started as dozens of dementors was less than ten.

Harry focused on his spell and began to manipulate it, able to concentrate on one task now that the danger had lessened. The deer patronus grew wider, turning from a regal and majestic creature to something deformed and stout. It still continued its task of driving away the dementors with gusto, but now its great bulk slowed its attack significantly. It continued to grow as the boy thrust both hands out above him, thumbs pushing against each other. With great effort, Harry forced his hands apart, and the stag lost all clear form, instead warping into a giant white shield with a vaguely equine face on its front. The shield covered the trio completely, letting Sirius and Kaecilius drop their spells and turn to Harry, their faces wet with sweat.

Kaecilius patted Harry's shoulder tiredly, a proud look across his face. "You've done well, Harry. Let's get Sirius past the gates, and I can open a portal to let him escape," he said, retrieving his sling ring from his pocket. "How long can you hold that spell?"

Harry took a deep shuddering breath, trying not to let the strain show. "Not long, sir," he admitted. "A minute or two?"

"That will do," Kaecilius affirmed. "Let's g-"

The sling ring flew from the man's hand, back towards the doors to Hogwarts. They turned to see Snape now sitting up under the door frame, one hand holding the back of his head. His face was triumphant, but furious as he caught the golden object and looked it over. His eyes darted back to Kaecilius. "Sorcerer!" he spat, making the word sound like a curse. "Irresponsible muggle trying to wield magic you cannot comprehend, corrupting a student, and helping a murderer to boot!"

Sirius shouted back, "Severus, you don't under-"

"Never mind," Kaecilius interrupted. "We don't have time to explain. We need to get you away, Black, and Harry's already weak. Talk to the headmaster, Snape, but don't try and stop us."

He turned away, hooking one arm under Harry's to help him move. Sirius stared back at Snape who, while angry, still looked woozy from his blow to the head. The professor kept a tight grip on the sling ring, but made no other move to impede them as Sirius turned and hurried away to keep under Harry's shield.

They hurried down the path, Harry's breathing getting more labored with each step. Both men murmured encouragement to the boy as they went. They could all see the few dementors that followed above, keeping a distance from the shining shield but clearly waiting for a moment of weakness.

They crested the last hill before the gates and came to a dead stop as the large steel-barred entryway came into view. The dementors that hadn't followed them had apparently decided to regroup at the easiest chokepoint, and at least fifty dark cloaks were swirling around the exit, agitated and ravening.

Harry could feel the patronus shield weakening, but he put on as confident a face as he could as he looked up at his master. "We can get through the f-forest, sir. I've gotten past the wards that way before."  
Kaecilius, his eyes locked on the impassable gate, nodded. "That may be our only way. Mr. Black, your patronus would be useful as we go."

Sirius whipped out his wand and summoned the spell, and the trio turned towards the treeline nearest to the fence, running as fast as they could. The shield flickered intermittently, but the ghostly white dog that Sirius commanded helped keep any stray dementors away. They reached the forest unmolested, but got no further before Harry lost the strength to keep it up. The shield gave one last gleam, then vanished as Harry sank to his knees. Kaecilius tried to help his apprentice up, but the boy was barely clinging to consciousness after such strong magic. The man looked at Sirius, who was still trying to herd away any dementors who came near, and said, "I think I can protect him if you leave. It's you the dementors want. Can you evade them through the forest?"

Sirius looked down at the exhausted student, guilt plastered across his face, and nodded. Kaecilius reached into his coat and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak. He sat down next to Harry on the ground and threw the cloak over both himself and his student, whispering a quiet, "Good luck".

Sirius grinned weakly and let the patronus vanish. As the dementors closed in, he changed forms into his familiar canine shape. Where his other transformations had seemed messy and unpleasant, the shift into his animagus form was smooth, as if the dog had been just beneath Sirius' skin the whole time. As he took off into the night, his stride was strong and powerful, clearly outrunning the dementors that pursued him.

The screeching monsters vanished into the trees, intent on their prey, but Harry could feel Kaecilius remain tense long after the cold had receded. They remained perfectly still on the ground, trying to get their breath back as quietly as possible. _Sir?_ he asked tiredly.

He felt rather than saw Kaecilius turn his head towards him, and he asked, _When did you get my cloak?_

 _It was on your bed when I came to check on you earlier tonight._ Kaecilius answered to his mind. _All of your dorm mates were unconscious, apparently from an inhaled potion. I woke your friends, but they hadn't seen anything. I wish now I'd left them asleep, for all the trouble they caused us._

Harry grimaced in embarrassment. _Sorry, sir. They were just trying to help._

 _Indeed_ , he agreed. _I only-_

They both stiffened again as a frigid gust of air washed over them. They heard a rattling breath draw near, practically over their heads, and Harry could feel Voldemort's memories pushing out in his mind, trying to get out. He drew his wand, but hesitated as Kaecilius pushed his arm down. _Don't,_ the man cautioned. _You'll draw them all back to us. I don't think it knows where we are._

The dementor did seem to waver in its path, drawing close before floating off a few meters. It reminded Harry of a dog trying to find a scent. It moaned and screeched as it searched the area, nearly leaving their sight.

Then suddenly, it came to a halt in the air and turned around, its face pointed right at the duo. With a delighted hiss, it flew right up to them, coming to a stop only when it was close enough to reach out and touch. It took a deep and satisfied breath in, and Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. It took all of his energy not to collapse right there, and he was alarmed to feel Kaecilius do just that, falling bonelessly onto the forest floor.

Harry wanted to scream, to shake his master and wake him up, to throw another patronus spell at the spectre that hovered so close. He wanted to fight and defend himself, to run and make sure Sirius was all right.

But his earlier spellwork had drained him. He only had the energy to perform one small bit of magic, and so he did the only thing he could think of. He pushed out a tendril of his mind toward the dementor and winced as the screeching thoughts of the creature bombarded him. Focusing desperately, he begged, _Please. Please, please leave us alone. I promise I'll help you if I can._

The dementor shook its hood slowly back and forth. Beneath the scream, he heard it softly intone, **I am sorrrrry forrrr this, wizarrrrd-born.**

fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

Harry blinked, and the world was gone. The dementor, the trees, and Kaecilius vanished into a dark haze, a black fog that swallowed up everything. He felt like he was falling rapidly down a lightless tunnel, and tried to flail his arms. He no longer had them. He tried to look around him, but could feel there was no neck to turn, no eyes to see.

Force of habit had him imagining his body, focusing and reconstituting his form as he had done so many times while working in his mind. Within seconds, he had a physical form again, but he still felt himself falling with no way to stop it. He tried to slow his descent, but found that he had no control over it. Usually in a mindscape, he was able to move any direction he chose, so this new helplessness made him worried.

He still couldn't see anything as he fell through the dark mist, but he began to hear a low murmuring, almost like a hum that reverberated through his bones as it grew, then falling away into silence before coming back louder than before. It ebbed and flowed in intensity, each time getting a little stronger.

After what felt like several minutes, he finally recognized the sound. It was laughter, deep and booming like rolling thunder, and once he had identified it, the noise filled him with dread. It was not a joyful sound, but something more sinister, like a cruel child cackling as it pulled the wings off a fly. He felt himself slow in the air, finally coming to a stop as he floated in the black fog, helpless and on edge as the laughter echoed all around him. Harry summoned his courage and shouted, "Show yourself!"

The hearty laughter died abruptly, like someone had flipped a switch, and a pair of yellow eyes flashed into existence in front of him. They glared at him for a moment before a deep voice responded, " **I will do as I wish, insignificant one.** "

Every syllable was loaded with malice, and Harry fought to calm his heart, which raced with fear against his will. Every instinct in his mind was screaming to hide and to run, but he knew there was nowhere to which he could escape. Trying to keep his voice steady, he asked, "Are you the Dweller?"

The eyes slowly lowered in his field of vision, then moved back upwards again. Harry supposed this was a nod, and continued, "Why am I here? What do you want?"

Another deep chuckle, and the Dweller replied, " **I wanted to see the puny wizardling that my slaves are all so enthused over. I sent one of their number away from their pathetic chase to find you. They tried to hide their purpose from me, but I am their maker. I am their GOD. Nothing is out of my sight. My simple servant nearly lost you, but no silly piece of fabric can protect you from me!** "

Harry couldn't help shaking in the face of this overwhelming presence, feeling completely trapped and helpless. He tried to perform the motions for the spell that would disengage him from the mental plane, but his arms felt heavy and unresponsive. The Dweller gave another abyssal chuckle. " **You are in my realm,** " he said. " **You were foolish to connect your mind with one of my creations, for that was more than enough to trap you here. I had so hoped you might be dim-witted enough to try it again.** "

Harry took a shaky breath and attempted to focus his thoughts. Kaecilius had trained him for a multitude of scenarios, and while they hadn't imagined a circumstance quite like this, Harry knew what he had to do. When cornered by a foe with no way out, his master had always said to stall for time and look for an opening.

"I beg for your pardon," Harry said, letting his voice waver openly. "I was foolish to think I had any hope of contending with one such as yourself. I-"

" **Enough.** "

Harry's jaw slammed shut against his will. If he'd been in his real body, he'd have bitten off his tongue.

The Dweller chuckled again. " **You amuse me, little fool. So brave one moment, the next a craven beggar. My slaves are truly witless to rely on one like you.** "

Harry felt a flicker of indignation at being so easily dismissed, but forced his mouth open to ask,

"Why would one so mighty as you rely on dementors, if they are so weak?"

The eyes narrowed in suspicion, but the Dweller replied, " **I rely on no one and nothing. It pleases me to use them in any way I choose, and to feast on the fear they spread.** "

Harry bowed his head in subservience and said, "Of course."

The Dweller gave what sounded like a satisfied huff, then declared, " **Very well, wizard. I will release you now, on one condition.** "

Harry looked up again and tried not to swallow, sure that he wouldn't like what came next. "Name it."

" **It has been many years since any have dared to challenge me. I can see you still intend to fight me, despite how you pretend to submit to my might. I will allow you to try to free my slaves. I have better ones, more obedient and powerful thralls that I can use. It will amuse me to see you fail and lose hope, over and over.** "

Harry knew better than to think there wouldn't be a catch. He stared back at the Dweller's eyes and waited. The being continued.

" **You are a student, I have seen. Not just of the wizards, but of a sorcerer as well. Very good. I will allow you time to stew in your impossible task, to finally realize and accept that I cannot be beaten. I give you until the day of your graduation to find a way to free my slaves. When you fail, and you** **will** **fail, your soul will be drawn to my home where I will feast on your fear and hopelessness forever.** "

The Dweller's eyes loomed large over Harry now, hungry and wild. Harry shook in terror and tried to hunch his body, hating this feeling of complete helplessness. He gulped and asked, "What if I don't accept your offer?"

The Dweller chuckled once more. " **Then you remain here, never to escape. The only reason I grant you this boon is to savor the ripening flavor of your desperation. To give you hope, then drain it away day by desperate day until you run out of time. A few years is nothing to me. I will enjoy the taste of your growing fear in the meanwhile.** "

The Dweller's eyes were inches from Harry's face now, filling the boy's vision almost entirely with burning yellow. Harry clenched his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering, and blurted the only thing he could think of. "Kaecilius will get me out of here! He can figure out a way!"

The Dweller's eyes drew back, considering the boy before him. " **You think so?**

The darkness split open in two jagged rifts, forcing Harry to squint against the glare. After a brief moment of readjustment, he gaped at the scenes they revealed.

His body and Kaecilius' lay on the forest floor in one opening, as the dementor swooped menacingly over them. With every pass, it would draw a deep and shuddering breath, pulling energy and life from them both.

In the other rift, he saw Sirius in his animagus form, still running with dementors flying fast behind him. The dog's muzzle was wet with foam, his panting labored and heavy. The dementors hadn't caught up yet, but it was clear they were getting closer.

" **It would please me to keep you here now, little speck** ," the Dweller gloated. " **To have one servant remove two souls at once, and have the others run down the dog wizard before draining him dry. Three new souls to play with! Accept my offer, though, and I get to slowly savor your fear, watching it spread to everyone around you as you all come to understand how hopeless your situation is.** "

Harry felt despair settle on his shoulders like a cloud, but still asked, "Why even bother, then? You win either way."

The Dweller paused, seeming to consider what answer to give.

" **Very well, I'll grant you some hope, weakling,** " the being allowed. " **You will have your magical energy back when you awaken. A fighting chance will make for better sport. Do you accept?** "

The boy nodded miserably, seeing little other choice. The Dweller laughed again, loud and booming, and proclaimed, " **We have an accord! I shall see you again very soon, no doubt.** "

With an echoing crash, Harry felt his incorporeal body being pulled up again, faster and faster through the darkness. As he rose, he could feel his magic reawakening, filling his body again, and with it came a glimmer of hope within him. He could do this. He could save Kaecilius and Sirius and free the- No, focus on the here and now. Figuring out a way to free the dementors could wait. He had to save himself and the others first.

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A/N: Ending another chapter with a cliffhanger was, perhaps, unkind. Nonetheless, I think this was a good place to stop, especially after over 10,000 words (my longest chapter BY FAR). This chapter also marks me as over the 100,000 word threshold! Woo hoo!  
I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment to tell me what you think!


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